Death toll rising after Brazilian dam burst engulfs village
Digital Reporter
Friday, November 6, 2015, 1:04 PM - More than a dozen people are believed to have been killed after a dam holding back waste from a mine burst Thursday afternoon.
The BBC says officials have put the official death toll at one, with several missing, but is also quoting other reports suggesting at least 16 people have died.
NBC News puts the death toll at 15, with 45 others missing.
The burst dam released a torrent of red mud into the surrounding area, reaching the town of Bento Rodrigues, around seven kilometres away. Brazilian television carried images of several homes damaged or destroyed, with several vehicles swept away.
The mine's owner, Samarco, which NBC says is a joint venture between Vale and BHP, says it does not yet know why the dam burst, and authorities have warned the effluent could be toxic.
Landslide fears have hampered rescuers, but civil authorities are evacuating many of the town's 500 inhabitants.
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