BREAKING

Hundreds of people are missing after a dam collapse in southeast Brazil unleashed a torrent of mud on the riverside town Brumadinho.

The dam burst yesterday, oozing sludge onto surrounding farmland and destroying houses, with 200 people missing and many feared dead, according to officials in the South American nation.

President Jair Bolsonaro was due to visit the affected zone around the town of Brumadinho, which is located near the city of Belo Horizonte, on Saturday, a government spokesman said.

His government, facing its first big emergency since taking office, set up urgent co-ordination between the defence, environment and mining ministries to bolster operations by the state of Minas Gerais.

Access to Brumadinho — population 39,000 — was difficult after the mud cut across roads, hampering officials’ ability to determine the scope and gravity of the disaster.

A fire service official told AFP initial accounts received indicated “there were several deaths.” In the statement, the fire service said it confirmed “the disappearance of approximately 200 people.”

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https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/hundreds-missing-after-brazilian-dam-collapse/news-story/3cd78c609dd8e01ae5c1e3089bac3c24