Brazilian authorities arrested eight employees of mining giant Vale on Friday over a dam collapse at one of its mines three weeks ago that killed at least 166 people and left 147 missing, presumed dead.

Those apprehended -- two executives, two managers and four members of teams that checked the stability of the collapsed dam -- were being held to determine responsibility in relation to "hundreds of crimes of aggravated homicide," the prosecutor's office in the affected southeast state of Minas Gerais said in a statement.

It said they would be held in custody for 30 days. Police with warrants were also carrying out searches for evidence, including in Vale's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

Information leading to the arrests and warrants came from statements to police by two engineers from a German firm, TUEV SUED, contracted by Vale to inspect and certify the dam.

The engineers were arrested four days after the dam's collapse along with three Vale employees for questioning and were released a week later.

Four other TUEV SUED employees in Brazil were being sought by police.

The January 25 dam collapse is Brazil's worst industrial disaster. The reservoir, holding millions of tons of tailings -- mineral-laced mining waste -- broke apart and washed over the Vale iron ore mine near the town of Brumadinho.

Most of those buried under its thick mud were mine workers, though some nearby residents were also engulfed.

Emergency crews continue to pick through the mud to look for bodies, but officials have said it was likely not all remains would be recovered.

Vale, the world's biggest iron ore miner and one of Brazil's biggest companies, lost a quarter of its market value after the disaster.

It insists that it observed all safety regulations regarding the dam. It dismisses reports that potential problems were detected before the disaster, saying they were addressed.

Its CEO, Fabio Schvartsman, said Thursday that Vale should not be punished over the disaster at its mine.

The company, he said, "is a Brazilian crown jewel that cannot be condemned for an accident that occurred in its dam, no matter how big the tragedy," he told a Congressional committee.

The disaster was the second involving Vale in three years in the same region of Brazil, after a 2015 collapse of another tailings dam at a jointly owned mine that caused what is considered the country's worst-ever environmental catastrophe.

Brazilian authorities arrested eight employees of mining giant Vale on Friday over a dam collapse at one of its mines three weeks ago that killed at least 166 people and left 147 missing, presumed dead.

Brazilian authorities arrested eight employees of mining giant Vale on Friday over a dam collapse at one of its mines three weeks ago that killed at least 166 people and left 147 missing, presumed dead. Those apprehended -- two executives, two managers and four members of teams that checked the stability of the collapsed dam -- were being held to determine responsibility in relation to "hundreds of crimes of aggravated homicide," the prosecutor's office in the affected southeast state of Minas Gerais said in a statement. It said they would be held in custody for 30 days. Police with warrants were also carrying out searches for evidence, including in Vale's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Information leading to the arrests and warrants came from statements to police by two engineers from a German firm, TUEV SUED, contracted by Vale to inspect and certify the dam. The engineers were arrested four days after the dam's collapse along with three Vale employees for questioning and were released a week later. Four other TUEV SUED employees in Brazil were being sought by police. The January 25 dam collapse is Brazil's worst industrial disaster. The reservoir, holding millions of tons of tailings -- mineral-laced mining waste -- broke apart and washed over the Vale iron ore mine near the town of Brumadinho. Most of those buried under its thick mud were mine workers, though some nearby residents were also engulfed. Emergency crews continue to pick through the mud to look for bodies, but officials have said it was likely not all remains would be recovered. Vale, the world's biggest iron ore miner and one of Brazil's biggest companies, lost a quarter of its market value after the disaster. It insists that it observed all safety regulations regarding the dam. It dismisses reports that potential problems were detected before the disaster, saying they were addressed. Its CEO, Fabio Schvartsman, said Thursday that Vale should not be punished over the disaster at its mine. The company, he said, "is a Brazilian crown jewel that cannot be condemned for an accident that occurred in its dam, no matter how big the tragedy," he told a Congressional committee. The disaster was the second involving Vale in three years in the same region of Brazil, after a 2015 collapse of another tailings dam at a jointly owned mine that caused what is considered the country's worst-ever environmental catastrophe.

Brazil arrests eight Vale employees over mining dam disaster

The death toll from the collapse of a tailings dam in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/deadly-brazil-dam-collapse-raises-fears-of-environmental-woes-194307">Brazil's southeastern state of Minas</a> Gerais has risen to 110, with 238 still listed as missing, the state civil defense authorities said on Thursday.

According to the civil defense authorities out of the 110 victims, 71 have been identified.

The dam collapsed on January 25th in Brumadinho Municipality of Minas Gerais and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-dam-disaster-puts-vale-ceo-deals-and-dividends-under-scrutiny-193326"> caused a mudslide, which destroyed offices </a>of Vale company that operates a mine and a residential area in the vicinity. Now the affected area remains a dangerous zone, with normal life of local residents hard to be resumed within a short period of time.

At a service station where donated life supplies are piled, workers are on duty around the clock to make sure the affected residents can get the life necessities they need.

Luciano, as a resident representative of the mining area, are among the volunteers to help affected people at the station, from which his six-member family also fetches some daily necessities.

"When the dam collapsed, I happened to be on the balcony of my home. Two small explosions had occurred before. Two or three minutes later, the dam collapsed with large quantities of mud from the mining area surging out of the dam. I'd never seen such a situation, so I led my family members to a higher place," Luciano said in an interview with China Central Television.

Luciano said though all the family members are safe now, but the dangers are still near at hand.

"The whole area is dangerous. The dangerous section of the road as assessed by the Vale company is right here. They said here is the edge of the dangerous area and that there's no danger upward," said Luciano, pointing to the road.

Luciano said the Vale, in fact, has an alarm system, but it didn’t ring at that time, which caused so many people to be buried.

According to Fabio Schvartsman, CEO of Vale, the dam collapsed so suddenly that the buzzer was swallowed before making a sound. However, local residents still doubt his explanation.

As search and rescue goes on, disease prevention is also an emergency in the affected area.

"We are worried about what will happen next, which may bring about some diseases, such as field fever, dengue, acute intestinal infectious diseases and some other diseases caused by chemicals in the mining area. We will monitor the spot and take measures to handle the diseases," said Marcelo Ribeiro, assistant director of the Minas Gerais State Hospital Foundation (FHEMIG).

The death toll from the collapse of a tailings dam in Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais has risen to 110, with 238 still listed as missing, the state civil defense authorities said on Thursday.

The death toll from the collapse of a tailings dam in Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais has risen to 110, with 238 still listed as missing, the state civil defense authorities said on Thursday. According to the civil defense authorities out of the 110 victims, 71 have been identified. The dam collapsed on January 25th in Brumadinho Municipality of Minas Gerais and caused a mudslide, which destroyed offices of Vale company that operates a mine and a residential area in the vicinity. Now the affected area remains a dangerous zone, with normal life of local residents hard to be resumed within a short period of time. At a service station where donated life supplies are piled, workers are on duty around the clock to make sure the affected residents can get the life necessities they need. Luciano, as a resident representative of the mining area, are among the volunteers to help affected people at the station, from which his six-member family also fetches some daily necessities. "When the dam collapsed, I happened to be on the balcony of my home. Two small explosions had occurred before. Two or three minutes later, the dam collapsed with large quantities of mud from the mining area surging out of the dam. I'd never seen such a situation, so I led my family members to a higher place," Luciano said in an interview with China Central Television. Luciano said though all the family members are safe now, but the dangers are still near at hand. "The whole area is dangerous. The dangerous section of the road as assessed by the Vale company is right here. They said here is the edge of the dangerous area and that there's no danger upward," said Luciano, pointing to the road. Luciano said the Vale, in fact, has an alarm system, but it didn’t ring at that time, which caused so many people to be buried. According to Fabio Schvartsman, CEO of Vale, the dam collapsed so suddenly that the buzzer was swallowed before making a sound. However, local residents still doubt his explanation. As search and rescue goes on, disease prevention is also an emergency in the affected area. "We are worried about what will happen next, which may bring about some diseases, such as field fever, dengue, acute intestinal infectious diseases and some other diseases caused by chemicals in the mining area. We will monitor the spot and take measures to handle the diseases," said Marcelo Ribeiro, assistant director of the Minas Gerais State Hospital Foundation (FHEMIG).

Brazil dam collapse: Death toll rises to 110; 238 still missing

The death toll from the collapse of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-local-hero-saves-girl-from-mud-of-brazils-deadly-dam-collapse-194149">tailings dam in Brumadinho</a>, Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, reached 99 on Wednesday, with 259 people still missing.

The dam ruptured on Friday&nbsp;sent&nbsp;a wave of iron ore waste and mud down the hill, destroying everything in its path, including residential areas, at least two small hotels and a large administrative area of mining giant Vale, owner of the mining complex where the dam was located.

The site of the collapsed dam has seen several firefighters searching for bodies, even though the possibility of finding people alive is widely regarded as very remote.

"Our group members and I searched out two bodies today. The most difficult part is to locate these bodies, as they are covered with mud of same colour; it's so hard to distinguish. Identifying human remains is quite difficult and is an uneasy job. We have to be highly concentrated and be alerted so as to find the bodies. We will exert all of our efforts to give the society an explanation," said Nunes, a firefighter of the Maranhao State, north to the Minas Gerais.

Apart from firefighters, medical teams and chemical experts are also present on the site.

The tailings dam, which belongs to Vale, has a large amount of deposits of wastes and chemical substances. After the dam collapsed, it has added up the possibility of chemical pollution and poisoning.

So far, the muddy waste has travelled almost 100 kilometres down the Paraopeba river. Vale started on Wednesday to install equipment in the river, trying to contain the material and prevent it from reaching the Sao Francisco River.

The Vale has announced that it will clear away 10 other tailings dams just like the one that collapsed. The company has also promised to pay&nbsp; $27,000&nbsp;as compensation to each victim's family.

The death toll from the collapse of a tailings dam in Brumadinho, Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, reached 99 on Wednesday, with 259 people still missing.

The death toll from the collapse of a tailings dam in Brumadinho, Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, reached 99 on Wednesday, with 259 people still missing. The dam ruptured on Friday sent a wave of iron ore waste and mud down the hill, destroying everything in its path, including residential areas, at least two small hotels and a large administrative area of mining giant Vale, owner of the mining complex where the dam was located. The site of the collapsed dam has seen several firefighters searching for bodies, even though the possibility of finding people alive is widely regarded as very remote. "Our group members and I searched out two bodies today. The most difficult part is to locate these bodies, as they are covered with mud of same colour; it's so hard to distinguish. Identifying human remains is quite difficult and is an uneasy job. We have to be highly concentrated and be alerted so as to find the bodies. We will exert all of our efforts to give the society an explanation," said Nunes, a firefighter of the Maranhao State, north to the Minas Gerais. Apart from firefighters, medical teams and chemical experts are also present on the site. The tailings dam, which belongs to Vale, has a large amount of deposits of wastes and chemical substances. After the dam collapsed, it has added up the possibility of chemical pollution and poisoning. So far, the muddy waste has travelled almost 100 kilometres down the Paraopeba river. Vale started on Wednesday to install equipment in the river, trying to contain the material and prevent it from reaching the Sao Francisco River. The Vale has announced that it will clear away 10 other tailings dams just like the one that collapsed. The company has also promised to pay $27,000 as compensation to each victim's family.

Brazil dam collapse: Death toll reaches 99; 259 people still missing

Grief over the hundreds of Brazilians feared killed in a mining disaster has quickly hardened into anger as victims' families and politicians say iron ore miner Vale SA and regulators have learned nothing from the recent past.

By Monday, firefighters in the state of Minas Gerais had confirmed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-dam-disaster-puts-vale-ceo-deals-and-dividends-under-scrutiny-193326">60 people died in Friday's disaster</a>, in which a tailings dam broke sending a torrent of sludge into the miner's offices and the town of Brumadinho. Nearly 300 other people are unaccounted for, and officials said it was unlikely that any would be found alive.

Vale shares plummeted 17 per cent in Monday trading on the Sao Paulo stock exchange, which had been closed on Friday.

Brazil's top prosecutor, Raquel Dodge, said the company should be held strongly responsible and criminally prosecuted. Executives could also be personally held responsible, she said.

Vale Chief Executive Fabio Schvartsman said during a visit to Brumadinho on Sunday that facilities there were built to code and equipment had shown the dam was stable two weeks earlier.

The disaster at the Corrego do Feijao mine occurred less than four years after a dam collapsed at a nearby mine run by Samarco Mineracao SA, a joint venture by Vale and BHP Billiton, killing 19 and filling a major river with toxic sludge.

While the 2015 Samarco disaster dumped about five times more mining waste, Friday's dam break was far more deadly, as the wall of mud hit Vale's local offices, including a crowded cafeteria, and tore through a populated area downhill.

"The cafeteria was in a risky area," Renato Simao de Oliveiras, 32, said while searching for his twin brother, a Vale employee, at an emergency response station.

"Just to save money, even if it meant losing the little guy... These businessmen, they only think about themselves."

As search efforts continued on Monday, firefighters laid down wood planks to cross a sea of sludge that is hundreds of meters wide in places, to reach a bus in search of bodies inside. Villagers discovered the bus as they tried to rescue a nearby cow stuck in the mud.

Longtime resident Ademir Rogerio cried as he surveyed the mud where Vale's facilities once stood on the edge of town.

"The world is over for us," he said. "Vale is the top mining company in the world. If this could happen here, imagine what would happen if it were a smaller miner."

Nestor José de Mury said he lost his nephew and coworkers in the mud.

"I've never seen anything like it, it killed everyone," he said.

SAFETY DEBATE

The board of Vale, which has raised its dividends over the last year, suspended all shareholder payouts and executive bonuses late on Sunday, as the disaster put its corporate strategy under scrutiny.

"I'm not a mining technician. I followed the technicians' advice and you see what happened. It didn't work," Vale CEO Schvartsman said in a TV interview. "We are 100 percent within all the standards, and that didn't do it."

Many wondered if the state of Minas Gerais, named for the mining industry that has shaped its landscape for centuries, should have higher standards.

"There are safe ways of mining," said Joao Vitor Xavier, head of the mining and energy commission in the state assembly. "It's just that it diminishes profit margins, so they prefer to do things the cheaper way – and put lives at risk."

Reaction to the disaster could threaten the plans of newly inaugurated President Jair Bolsonaro to relax restrictions on the mining industry, including proposals to open up indigenous reservations and large swaths of the Amazon jungle for mining.

Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque proposed in an interview late on Sunday with newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo that the law should be changed to assign responsibility in cases such as Brumadinho to the people responsible for certifying the safety of mining dams.

"Current law does not prevent disasters like the one we saw on Brumadinho", he said. "The model for verifying the state of mining dams will have to be reconsidered. The model isn't good."

The ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the interview.

German auditor TUV SUD said on Saturday it inspected the dam in September and found all to be in order.

Grief over the hundreds of Brazilians feared killed in a mining disaster has quickly hardened into anger as victims' families and politicians say iron ore miner Vale SA and regulators have learned nothing from the recent past.

Grief over the hundreds of Brazilians feared killed in a mining disaster has quickly hardened into anger as victims' families and politicians say iron ore miner Vale SA and regulators have learned nothing from the recent past. By Monday, firefighters in the state of Minas Gerais had confirmed 60 people died in Friday's disaster, in which a tailings dam broke sending a torrent of sludge into the miner's offices and the town of Brumadinho. Nearly 300 other people are unaccounted for, and officials said it was unlikely that any would be found alive. Vale shares plummeted 17 per cent in Monday trading on the Sao Paulo stock exchange, which had been closed on Friday. Brazil's top prosecutor, Raquel Dodge, said the company should be held strongly responsible and criminally prosecuted. Executives could also be personally held responsible, she said. Vale Chief Executive Fabio Schvartsman said during a visit to Brumadinho on Sunday that facilities there were built to code and equipment had shown the dam was stable two weeks earlier. The disaster at the Corrego do Feijao mine occurred less than four years after a dam collapsed at a nearby mine run by Samarco Mineracao SA, a joint venture by Vale and BHP Billiton, killing 19 and filling a major river with toxic sludge. While the 2015 Samarco disaster dumped about five times more mining waste, Friday's dam break was far more deadly, as the wall of mud hit Vale's local offices, including a crowded cafeteria, and tore through a populated area downhill. "The cafeteria was in a risky area," Renato Simao de Oliveiras, 32, said while searching for his twin brother, a Vale employee, at an emergency response station. "Just to save money, even if it meant losing the little guy... These businessmen, they only think about themselves." As search efforts continued on Monday, firefighters laid down wood planks to cross a sea of sludge that is hundreds of meters wide in places, to reach a bus in search of bodies inside. Villagers discovered the bus as they tried to rescue a nearby cow stuck in the mud. Longtime resident Ademir Rogerio cried as he surveyed the mud where Vale's facilities once stood on the edge of town. "The world is over for us," he said. "Vale is the top mining company in the world. If this could happen here, imagine what would happen if it were a smaller miner." Nestor José de Mury said he lost his nephew and coworkers in the mud. "I've never seen anything like it, it killed everyone," he said. SAFETY DEBATE The board of Vale, which has raised its dividends over the last year, suspended all shareholder payouts and executive bonuses late on Sunday, as the disaster put its corporate strategy under scrutiny. "I'm not a mining technician. I followed the technicians' advice and you see what happened. It didn't work," Vale CEO Schvartsman said in a TV interview. "We are 100 percent within all the standards, and that didn't do it." Many wondered if the state of Minas Gerais, named for the mining industry that has shaped its landscape for centuries, should have higher standards. "There are safe ways of mining," said Joao Vitor Xavier, head of the mining and energy commission in the state assembly. "It's just that it diminishes profit margins, so they prefer to do things the cheaper way – and put lives at risk." Reaction to the disaster could threaten the plans of newly inaugurated President Jair Bolsonaro to relax restrictions on the mining industry, including proposals to open up indigenous reservations and large swaths of the Amazon jungle for mining. Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque proposed in an interview late on Sunday with newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo that the law should be changed to assign responsibility in cases such as Brumadinho to the people responsible for certifying the safety of mining dams. "Current law does not prevent disasters like the one we saw on Brumadinho", he said. "The model for verifying the state of mining dams will have to be reconsidered. The model isn't good." The ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the interview. German auditor TUV SUD said on Saturday it inspected the dam in September and found all to be in order.

Brazilian despair turns to anger as toll from Vale dam disaster hits 60

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Brazil arrests eight Vale employees over mining dam disaster

Brazil dam collapse: Death toll rises to 110; 238 still missing

Brazil dam collapse: Death toll reaches 99; 259 people still missing

Brazilian despair turns to anger as toll from Vale dam disaster hits 60