Brumadinho

Brumadinho is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located in the southeastern part of the country, about 60 kilometers north of Belo Horizonte. The area includes rural landscapes and small urban centers, and its economy combines mining, agriculture, and related services. As of 2020, the population was about 40,000.

Brumadinho gained international attention for the collapse of a tailings dam at the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine on January 25, 2019. The dam was operated by Vale S.A. and located just above the town. The resulting flood of mining waste destroyed neighborhoods, damaged infrastructure, and overwhelmed local emergency services. The disaster caused numerous fatalities and many people were reported missing or displaced, with long-term impacts on residents and the environment.

The event led to investigations, legal actions, and large fines against Vale and related parties. It also prompted government reviews of dam safety regulations and changes in oversight, emergency planning, and community consultation practices. The Brumadinho tragedy, together with a prior disaster in the same region in 2015, highlighted safety risks associated with upstream tailings dams and the broader mining sector in Minas Gerais and across Brazil.

Today Brumadinho continues to recover economically and socially, and the municipality remains a site of mining activity as well as ecotourism and regional culture. Ongoing monitoring and support for affected families, environmental remediation, and regulatory reforms remain central to the community's long-term resilience.