Water event
Brumadinho dam disaster
The collapse of a mining tailings dam released a wave of mine waste that killed 270 people and contaminated the Paraopeba River.
Key facts
- Event type
- Dam or reservoir failure
- Started
- 2019-01-25
Cause
Liquefaction failure of an upstream-construction tailings dam that had been certified as stable.
Impact
- 270 deaths
- Destruction of the Paraopeba River ecosystem over a long reach
- Loss of water supply for downstream communities
Response
Emergency response, suspension of water abstraction downstream, and prohibition of upstream tailings dam construction in Brazil.
Aftermath
Led to the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management and to phase-out programmes for upstream-construction tailings dams worldwide.
Relationships
- Located in: Brazil
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Sources
- Peer-reviewed scientific literature — Open-access hydrology, water chemistry and water use research. Public but restricted · Publisher terms — public access, reuse not clearly granted