Good morning! We continue our coverage of the Brumadinho dam collapse. Brazil defends WTO changes opposed by China. MDB to decide today on its nomination for Senate President. And more.
Brumadinho: death toll reaches 99 in 7th day of rescue ops
As search and rescue teams return to their seventh day of operations, the number of confirmed deaths as a result of the Brumadinho dam failure continues to climb. Yesterday, officials reported that 99 people have been killed in the catastrophe, and there are still 259 missing. Rescue teams have not found any survivors since Sunday. On Friday afternoon, an iron ore tailings dam collapsed near the town of Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, devastating the surrounding area.
Brazil’s Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) has confirmed that at least 270 hectares of land have been destroyed by the disaster—equivalent to 377 football pitches. Geologists have observed that the toxic sludge released from the dam has already traveled 98 km from its source, polluting large parts of the Paraopeba river.
Makeshift dams are being put in place to try and curb the spread of the mud, which could yet reach the São Francisco river—the most important waterway for Brazil’s...