Brazilian pellet producer Samarco, along with its controlling shareholders Vale and BHP, was fined by a civil court in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais at the equivalent to $9.7 billion, in a process related to the collapse in 2015 of Samarco’s Fundão dam, located in the state.
According to the decision by the court, the fine is due to “collective moral damages due to the collapse of the dam,” and “violation of human rights of the communities affected by the collapse of the dam,” which resulted in the death of 19 people.
In a statement, Vale said that it was not informed of the judicial decision, and that it will make comments during the process, adding that the fine can be questioned in upper courts.
Vale and BHP are also subject to a similar process in the UK, where the indemnification can reach $46 billion.