Mine dam collapses in Brazil; seven bodies found, 150 reportedly missing

At least seven people were killed and 150 left missing when a dam in an iron-ore mine in southeast Brazil collapsed Friday, the local government of the affected state of Minas Gerais was quoted by AFP as saying.

"According to information confirmed by fire services, seven bodies have been found... and 150 people are still listed as missing," the authority said in a statement.

A previous count by the fire service spoke of 200 missing.

The broken dam in Brumadinho, Brazil, January 25, 2019. /VCG photo

The tailings dam, owned by Brazilian mining giant Vale, broke apart "very violently, very suddenly," sending a massive torrent of mud over the complex where 300 mine employees were working, Vale CEO Fabio Schvartsman told a news conference in Rio de Janeiro.

The death toll was expected to go higher, as rescue teams scoured through the big disaster zone overnight into Saturday.

The deluge rumbled on to the nearby town of Brumadinho, located southwest of the city of Belo Horizonte, cutting a swath through vegetation, farmland and roads, and impeding access to the area.

(AFP)