Four years after the collapse of the Fundão dam in Mariana, another mining disaster caused by Vale, the largest private company in Latin America, struck the state of Minas Gerais.
On January 25, 2019, the Córrego do Feijão tailings dam collapsed in the municipality of Brumadinho, releasing millions of cubic meters of mining waste that engulfed everything in its path within minutes.
The wave of toxic mud buried Vale's own facilities, rural communities, roads, forests, and the Paraopeba River basin. Most of the victims were company employees who were having lunch when the dam failed, leaving virtually no chance of escape. In total, 259 people were killed.
The collapse is widely recognized as the deadliest workplace disaster in modern Brazilian history and one of the country's greatest environmental crimes.
In the days that followed, Brumadinho became the scene of one of the largest search and recovery operations in Brazilian history.
Alongside firefighters, relatives of the victims gathered at the disaster site every day, refusing to abandon the search for survivors and, later, for the bodies of their loved ones.
As hope gradually gave way to mourning, the search became an act of dignity and remembrance. For many families, the tragedy remains unfinished, as eleven victims have never been found.
Beyond the immediate destruction, the disaster contaminated rivers, devastated ecosystems, and profoundly altered the lives of thousands of people who depended on the region for their livelihoods.
Seven years later, Brumadinho still carries the weight of that afternoon. The scars are present not only in the landscape but also in the daily lives of its residents.
Empty homes, interrupted routines, and families waiting for loved ones who never returned have become part of the town's collective memory.
For many, the disaster did not end when the mud stopped flowing—it became a permanent condition.
This project was a part of the solo exhibition "Minerais de Sang"
at the Visa Pour L'Image international festival.
Together with The Death of Watu and
Maceió on Unstable Ground, Francisco reports
on mining disasters in Brazil.
- France, September 2024 -
"Minerais de Sang" - Visa Pour L'image