Another Vale dam could collapse: the Barão de Cocais dam could collapse by May 25

As reported by the MAB (Movement of People Affected by Dams in Brazil), after the disasters of Mariana (2017) and Brumadinho (January 2019) another Vale dam could succumb in the coming days. This is the dam of the Gongo Soco mine, in the city of Barão de Cocais, whose wall presented a movement on Tuesday (14), according to information from the Civil Defense of Minas Gerais. Should it break, it could cause liquefaction of the Upper South Reservoir, which is 1.5 km away.

In the document, Vale itself, responsible for the South Superior dam and the breaking of the dams of Fundão and Córrego de Feijão, affirms that the movement on the slope is frequent, if it continues, the dam could be broken by May 25. The waste would reach an area of 72.5 km and reach the cities of Barão de Cocais, Santa Bárbara and São Gonçalo del Río Abajo, as well as a section of BR-381.
The Public Ministry of Minas Gerais (MPMG) recommended the Vale company to inform the population immediately about the structural conditions of the dam and provide medical, psychological, as well as food, transportation and all that is necessary for the residents of the city. city.

The South Superior dam has around 6 million cubic meters of iron ore waste and 85 meters of height. On February 8 the siren was activated due to the risk of breaking and at the end of the same month it had its alert level raised to the maximum, from 2 to 3, by orientation of the National Agency and Mining (ANM). About 500 people ran from their homes in the communities of Socorro, Tablero and Piteiras, and remain out of the house until today.