At least 25 people remain missing after mine dams burst flooding villages

At least 25 people are missing after two dams burst at an iron mine in south-eastern Brazil unleashing a torrent of mud. Walls of water filled with mining waste cascaded downhill, covering the village of Bento Rodrigues in a sea of red mud. One person is known to have died while 30 others were injured, officials have said. Residents of Bento, which has a population of 600 and lies four miles (7km) from the mine, said the only warning they got was a deafening clap of sound.

When I went outside there were already people running uphill, saying the dam burst. All I did was close my house and run to the top.

Survivor Joaquim Dutra

Since Friday, hundreds of people have taken shelter in a gym in the nearby city of Mariana as donations of food, clothing and mattresses pour in. Rescuers have been using small aeroplanes and a drone to track down the 25 mine workers and Bento residents confirmed as missing. The mayor of Mariana has said he fears the death toll will inevitably rise. "(It) will rise for sure… The number of missing will rise because we’re talking to the residents of Bento and some people still aren’t accounted for,“ Duarte Júnior said.

The mud has taken over the whole house. It also destroyed our orange trees, our fig trees. It is all gone. It was so quick.

Dirce da Silva Mendes, a mother of two

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