A report has said mining company Vale knew a dam was at risk before it collapsed and killed 165 people. The firm claimed it had been ruled safe. However, this audit report, also seen by Reuters, raised a number of concerns, particularly about the dam's drainage and monitoring systems. An internal report has said Vale knew the Minas Gerais dam did not meet safety guidelines in October 2018 and had a one-in-5,000 chance of collapsing, but Vale said the report was misleading. The 2018 report had also forecast a collapse could cause more than 100 deaths and cost the company $1.5bn. In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Brazil’s environment minister, Izabella Teixeira, said: “Vale, which is responsible for this disaster, should be held accountable. Vale said the cause was still unknown.
A report has said mining company Vale knew a dam was at risk before it collapsed and killed 165 people. The firm claimed it had been ruled safe. An internal report has said Vale knew the Minas Gerais dam did not meet safety guidelines in October 2018 and had a one-in-5,000 chance of collapsing, but Vale said the report was misleading. The 2018 report had also forecast a collapse could cause more than 100 deaths and cost the company $1.5bn. In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Brazil’s environment minister, Izabella Teixeira, said: “Vale, which is responsible for this disaster, should be held accountable. Vale said the cause was still unknown.