On Monday, Vale announced that its Carajas railroad in northern Brazil's Para state will remain suspended following the collapse of a bridge structure last Friday. The construction accident occurred at Vitoria do Mearim, near the Sao Luis do Maranhao port from which Vale ships iron ore from its largest single iron ore mine. As a result of the accident, access to the coast is completely blocked, so Vale has halted the railroad's operations entirely. Seven workers suffered minor injuries during the collapse. The railroad also transports about 1,300 people a day.
The railroad directly connects the Marahao port to Vale's Carajas mine--which produces iron ore, copper and manganese. As Vale's largest iron ore mine, Carajas produced nearly 110 million tons of iron ore last year--34 percent of Vale's total output.