- The 2015 Mariana dam collapse killed 19 and caused severe environmental damage, leading to lawsuits against BHP for up to $46.63 billion.
- BHP argues that the lawsuit duplicates legal actions in Brazil and denies responsibility for the dam’s failure despite paying billions in compensation.
The 2015 Mariana dam collapse, Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, led mothers of children who died in the tragedy to demand justice for their loved ones on Thursday, March 13. As the submissions in their London lawsuit ended, tears filled their eyes as they spoke out.
The collapse of the Mariana dam in southeastern Brazil killed nineteen people, unleashed a wave of toxic sludge, left thousands homeless, flooded forests, and polluted the Doce River. Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and Anglo-Australian BHP, owned the dam.
Gelvana Silva, 37, shared her grief outside London’s High Court. “It was the day that destroyed my life… the day that took away my son,” she said. Silva lost her seven-year-old son, Thiago, in the flood.
More than 600,000 Brazilians, 46 local governments, and around 2,000 businesses are suing BHP over the disaster in a lawsuit worth up to 36 billion pounds ($46.63 billion).
The lawsuit, one of the largest in English legal history, began in October and ends on Thursday with closing submissions. Tom Goodhead, CEO of Pogust Goodhead, who represents the claimants, expects a decision this summer.
Pamela Fernandes, 31, lost her five-year-old daughter, Manu. “The memories of Manu are always with me… it’s challenging,” Fernandes said. Like Silva, she wore a T-shirt with her late child’s picture. “I want justice so that I can be at peace so that my daughter can be at peace,” Fernandes added.
BHP argues that the London lawsuit duplicates legal proceedings and reparation programs in Brazil and should be dismissed. The company claims it has paid nearly $8 billion to those affected through the Renova Foundation, with around $1.7 billion going to claimants involved in the English case.
BHP further states that it did not own or operate the dam, which held mining waste known as tailings. It claims that a Brazilian subsidiary of its Australian holding company was a 50% shareholder in Samarco, which operated independently. The miner also asserts that it did not know the dam’s compromised stability before the collapse.
In October 2024, the Brazilian government signed a compensation deal with BHP, Vale, and Samarco, but Goodhead stated that the disaster victims were not involved in the agreement.
Goodhead emphasised on Thursday that the trial was about holding the company accountable. “If the company is convicted, it will be our biggest victory… it would have been worth waiting ten years,” Silva said.