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mining giant bhp has been found liable by London High Court For the catastrophic collapse of a dam in the southeast in 2015 brazil,
Important decision on Friday It relates to a lawsuit whose value was previously estimated by the claimants’ lawyers at up to £36 billion ($48.32 billion).
Fundao Dam, located near the Marianas, It was jointly owned and operated by BHP and Vale’s Samarco joint venture.
Its catastrophic failure caused Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, 19 people died, thousands were left homeless, forests were flooded and the entire Dose River was polluted.
Thousands of Brazilians, dozens of local governments and 2,000 businesses are suing BHP.
Judge Finola O’Farrell ruled that raising the height of the dam even when unsafe was the “direct and immediate cause” of its collapse, establishing BHP’s liability under Brazilian law.
BHP confirmed that it would appeal the decision and continue to fight the case.
Brandon Craig, president of BHP Minerals America, said in a statement that 240,000 claimants in the London lawsuit “have already been compensated in Brazil”.
“We believe this will significantly reduce the size and value of claims in UK group actions,” he said.
The decision comes after a ten-year legal entanglement that left thousands of Brazilians with little hope of long-awaited justice.
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.
Claimants and lawyers initially hoped the court’s decision would open the way for victims of the dam collapse, who have struggled to move on with their lives, while they do not feel those responsible for the dam collapse have faced necessary consequences.