Dam break sweeps away homes in Brazil, killing at least 1 person

dam

BRAZIL –   A dam burst at an iron ore mine in Brazil, inundating a nearby small town with flood waters and mud. One person is confirmed dead, a civil defense official said.

The official could not say how many are missing or homeless. Many houses in Bento Rodrigues were buried up to the roof, video from CNN affiliate TV Record showed. Many lots were wiped clean of their homes and debris from buildings was spread over a wide area.

The inundated area had around 200 homes, the office of the mayor of the nearby city of Mariana said. A union leader told CNN affiliate Globo that 50 workers were at the mine at the time of the dam burst.(CNN.COM/photo: guim.co.uk)…[+]