A Brazilian Town Has Been Washed Away
The photos of Bento Rodriguez after the muddy floods are horrifying, It's basically just gone.
Joshua Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory
Earlier this month, two dams collapsed at a mine site in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. About 60 million cubic meters of toxic sludge raced downstream, right through the town of Bento Rodriguez.
Eleven people were killed and another 12 are missing and presumed dead, according to the BBC. The mine site is owned jointly by two of the world’s biggest mining companies — Vale and BHP Billiton Ltd. BHP has promised $260 million toward restoration and compensation.
The entire town, with an estimated population of 600 people, has been displaced.
Based on the pictures taken of the area, things are not looking good.
