Brumadinho dam disaster — iron ore dam failure in Brazil, disaster which occurred on 25 January 2019
One of Brazil's deadliest industrial disasters, killing 270 people when a Vale-owned tailings dam collapsed in Minas Gerais.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 January 2019
- Deaths confirmed
- 259 people
- Total dead or missing
- 270 people
- Missing as of Jan 2022
- 6 people
- Mine owner
- Vale
- Distance from Brumadinho
- 9 km
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine operated a tailings dam holding mining waste. The dam, owned by Vale — the same company involved in the 2015 Mariana dam disaster — suffered a catastrophic structural failure, releasing a massive mudflow downstream.
On 25 January 2019, the tailings dam collapsed, sending a wall of mud through the mine's headquarters, engulfing a cafeteria during lunchtime, and destroying houses, farms, inns, and roads in the surrounding area near Brumadinho, Minas Gerais.
The disaster killed 270 people, with 259 officially confirmed dead and 11 initially reported missing; as of January 2022, six individuals remained missing. The event intensified scrutiny of Brazil's dam safety regulations and Vale's corporate liability.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 270 (other)
Range: 259 – 270