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When? Brazil’s Mariana Dam collapsed On 5 November 2015, Aline Ribeiro’s husband was swept away by a torrent of mud and water.
it was a environmental disaster which caused untold devastation in the south-east Brazilian mountains, killing 19 people, and having devastating long-term consequences for thousands of people living in peaceful mountain villages in the state of Minas Gerais.
A decade later, Anglo-British mining giant BHP awaits decision In UK High Court On his responsibility for the fall, in a £36 billion claim brought by 620,000 people – which is being called Britain’s largest class action ever.
“They could have gotten away with it. They didn’t care who was under the dam. The people who were there, who died there, they had dreams and they were innocent,” Ms Ribeiro said.
He added, “This trauma will stay with us forever.” “They took away from us a dream of our whole lives. I will never forgive BHP, because they knew they were going to kill those people, and they just walked away.”
Ten years of legal confusion have left millions of Brazilians’ hopes for long-awaited justice in a London court 9,000 kilometers from home, with a final decision expected in November or December after more than half a year of deliberations.
The iron ore tailings dam collapsed at 4:20 pm, sending 44.5 million cubic meters of toxic sludge flowing down the hills of Minas Gerais state, with pollutants recorded as far as 668 kilometers (451 mi) from the dam.
Villages were razed to the ground and indigenous communities saw their way of life destroyed after massive damage to the Doce River, an important source of irrigation, water, food and leisure for groups like the Krenk.
Arguments in the trial, which began in October 2024, were based partly on whether BHP could be blamed for the failures of Samarco – a joint venture in which it had a 50 percent stake – to address the dam’s compromised stability.
BHP says the claimants’ argument is “based on falsely blurring the distinction between BHP, BHP Brazil and Samarco”, but the claimants argue that Vishal had a significant involvement in Samarco’s activities and exercised influence over it.
UK law firm Pogust Goodhead, representing the claimants, said the October filing by BHP marked the first time the firm had acknowledged key aspects of the widespread damage caused by the collapse, including the destruction of villages and an increase in toxic metals in rivers. The BHP filing does not accept blame for these impacts.
Claimants and lawyers hope the court’s decision will close the door on victims of the dam breach who have struggled to move on with their lives, while they don’t feel those responsible for the dam breach have faced necessary consequences.
“Every time we approach the date of ultimate excitement, the feeling is one of deep sadness,” Ms. Ribeiro said of the 10th anniversary.
“It was as if we were leaving it again as if we were grieving again. They were taken away from us. They didn’t just move out of the house and go. They left the house to work, or to do something. They were taken away from us. I’m talking about children, about sons who didn’t come back, about husbands who didn’t come back. Our children don’t have their fathers anymore.”
One of those children is Ms. Ribeiro’s own 12-year-old daughter, who was two at the time of her father’s death.
“She will bear this trauma for the rest of her life,” he said. “She says she has friends who have fathers, but she doesn’t have a father. She doesn’t have anyone to write a Father’s Day letter to.”
Alicia Alinea, CEO of Pogust Goodhead, said the dam collapse was “no accident” and that it “continues to devastate lives, communities and ecosystems a decade later”.
“It is unacceptable that so many victims are still fighting for the justice and compensation they deserve.
“As lawyers, our mission is first and foremost to ensure justice and fair compensation for our clients. But rulings that hold powerful corporations accountable can achieve far more – they can drive systemic change, shaping the way companies operate, how boards make decisions and how investors demand accountability.”
“A positive verdict against BHP will send a powerful message to corporations around the world: profits can never come at the expense of human life or the environment.”
A BHP spokesperson said in a statement that the dam failure was a “terrible tragedy”.
“As a shareholder in the Samarco non-operated joint venture, BHP Brazil has always been committed to supporting Samarco on its comprehensive indemnity and compensation efforts in Brazil.
“Samarco, BHP Brazil and Vale will continue to implement the agreement reached with Brazilian public authorities in October 2024, which provides for a total of R$170 billion (US$31.7 billion) in remediation and compensation programs in Brazil.
“Since 2015, approximately US$12.6 billion has been spent on direct reparations, compensation and payments to affected people and public authorities in Brazil. BHP is confident that the measures taken in Brazil are the most efficient and effective way to provide full and fair remediation to affected people.”