Mariana dam disaster
The village of Bento Rodrigues after the disaster | |
Mariana dam disaster Mariana dam disaster (Minas Gerais) Mariana dam disaster Mariana dam disaster (Brazil) | |
| Date | 5 November 2015 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 3:30 pm BRT |
| Location | Germano mine complex, Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Coordinates | 20°13′53″S 43°26′33″W / 20.23139°S 43.44250°W |
| Also known as | Samarco dam collapse |
| Type | Dam failure |
| Cause | Unknown |
| Participants | Samarco (joint-venture between Vale and BHP Billiton) |
| Deaths | 19 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 16+ |
| Property damage | Two villages devastated, around 200 homes destroyed |
| Verdict | High Court of Justice ruled BHP liable |
The Mariana dam disaster was an environmental disaster near Mariana, Minas Gerais, Brazil. On 5 November 2015, the Fundão tailings dam at the Germano iron ore mine of the Samarco Mariana Mining Complex near Mariana, suffered a catastrophic failure, resulting in flooding that devastated the downstream villages of Bento Rodrigues and Paracatu de Baixo (40 km (25 mi) from Bento Rodrigues), killing 19 people. The extent of the damage caused by the tailings dam collapse is the largest ever recorded, with pollutants spread along 668 kilometres (415 mi) of watercourses.
The failure of the dam released 43.7 million cubic metres (1.54 billion cubic feet) of mine tailings into the Doce River, causing a toxic brown mudflow to pollute the river and beaches near the mouth when it reached the Atlantic Ocean 17 days later. The disaster created a humanitarian crisis as hundreds were displaced and cities along the Doce River suffered water shortages when their water supplies were polluted.
The total impact of the disaster, including the reason for failure and the environmental consequences, are officially under investigation and remain unclear. The owner of the Bento Rodrigues dam, Samarco, was subject to extensive litigation and government sanctions. In 2016, charges of manslaughter and environmental damage were filed against 21 executives, including Samarco's former CEO and representatives from Samarco's owners, Vale and BHP Billiton, on its board of directors. Controversy over the disaster grew after a 2013 internal report, which indicated structural issues with the dam, was leaked.
On 6 November 2024, the President of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF), Luis Roberto Barroso, granted approval to a R$170 billion (approximately US$30 billion) compensation agreement to repair the damages caused by the disaster, signed between the mining companies and the Brazilian government.
On 14 November 2025, the High Court in England ruled that BHP Group was strictly liable for the disaster, citing negligence, technical warnings and lack of essential studies, which permitted the height of the dam to increase beyond safe levels.