"MARIANA, Brazil -- Workers at Brazilian iron ore miner Vale SA fear for their safety after the Samarco dam burst in the town of Mariana, where the company was reducing the number of employees because of weak ore prices, despite its push for output and complaints about safety.

A tailings dam at Samarco, a joint iron ore venture of mining majors BHP Billiton and Vale SA, unleashed 40 million cubic meters of mud on the valley below on Nov. 5, killing 11 people with 12 still missing.

For Ronilton Condessa, secretary of the Metabase labor union in Mariana, where Samarco is the main employer, in Minas Gerais state's iron belt, the dam's collapse is evidence of the risks the company is taking with its people."

Marta Nogueira reports for Reuters November 19, 2015. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Brazil Dam Collapse Reignites Debate Over Storing Mining Waste" (Reuters) [3]

"Brazil Dam Disaster: Toxic Red Mud Threatens Endangered Wildlife in Rio Doce Basin" (International Business Times) [4]

"Footage Shows Devastating Aftermath of Dam Bursting in Brazil" (Storyful/You Tube) [5]

"Red death: Toxic Brazilian mud reaches Atlantic Ocean (PHOTOS)" (RT (Russian government-controlled)) [6]