A Brazilian environmental group began testing river water Thursday around where a dam holding back mine waste collapsed to measure the level of toxicity and assess risks to human and other forms of life.
The dam failure unleashed a surge of mud that buried buildings adjoining the dam and several parts of the nearby city of Brumadinho. Authorities said Thursday a total of 110 bodies had been recovered and 238 are listed as missing.
Vale SA, the giant Brazilian company that owned and operated the iron ore mine, has said the torrent of reddish-brown mud unleashed Friday did not have dangerous levels of metals.
In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Vale said it was carrying out its own water quality tests. The first tests were made on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 but the company said it did not have the results yet.
Environmental groups and state and federal authorities believe there could be risks.
SOS Mata Atlantica made the first of several tests about a kilometre from where the dam failed near the town of from Brumadinho. Preliminary results in that stretch of the Paraopeba River showed a low level of oxygen in the water and high levels of nitrate and phosphate.
The group used a protocol that looks at 14 different parameters, developed in the 1970s by the National Sanitation Foundation, an independent US water testing organization. Within the hour, experts on the ground learned that the water grade of this segment of the river had gone from more than 40 points, or “Good”, down to 23.8 points, which according to the index is “Bad”.
Final results will take several days.
“There could be some fish [still alive], but only a few species could survive these conditions,” said Thiago Felix, a biologist with the group.
Earlier this week, dead fish were seen floating along the river several miles from the breached dam. Members of an indigenous community said they were told not to use the water or fish in it.
Even if the tests don’t ultimately show dangerous levels of toxicity, experts say that high levels of iron rust and aluminium could alter the structure of the river bottom, harming the river’s ecosystem.
“Heavy metal, iron oxide ... They might exist in nature, but in excess they are toxic. Everybody knows that,” said Joao Paulo Machado Torres, a professor who heads the Environmental Biophysics program at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
The Paraopeba flows into the much larger Sao Francisco River. Hundreds of municipalities and larger cities such as Petrolina, 1,400km from Brumadinho, get drinking water from the Sao Francisco.
The tests by the environmental group came a day after state and federal authorities told residents to refrain from using water directly from the river or 100m around it.
The instructions were based on initial results from tests on the water, which have not been released. The agencies also said firefighters who have been in contact with the mine waste, called tailings, should take safety precautions.
SOS Mata Atlantica was among the environmental groups and academics that studied the impact of another dam rupture in 2015 in the city of Mariana, which like Brumadinho is in Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil.
The collapse of the much larger reservoir, jointly operated by Vale and BHP Billiton, killed 19 people and thousands of fish and left 250,000 people without drinking water.
Three years later, water in the Doce River is still unfit for consumption, environmental experts say, as small residues of iron oxide have fallen at the bottom of the riverbed and are brought up to the surface each time it rains heavily.
SOS Mata Atlantica and other experts who studied the Mariana disaster say the similarities between the dam failures are very strong.
“Even if they remove most of the mud, of this toxic waste, residues will remain for a long time, maintaining the river’s level of contamination, and compromising the return of life,” said Carlos Ritt with Observatorio do Clima, a network of 43 environmental groups in Brazil.
Local civil society groups say this is no accident and that mining giant Vale should be prosecuted.
“We’re denouncing, publicly, that this is not a tragedy, this is absolutely one of the biggest environmental crimes we’ve ever had,” said Marcus Vinicius Polignano, from a civil society group that represent the interests of water usage in the region.
Brazilian authorities arrested five people Tuesday in connection with the dam failure, three of whom worked with Vale. The two others were employees of TUEV Sued, a German company that inspected the dam.
Vale’s CEO Fabio Schvartsman said today that he had “no reason to fear for the arrest of any Vale executive.”
In Brumadinho, firefighters have not found a victim alive since Saturday. An Israeli search-and-rescue delegation sent to help look for survivors around the dam was leaving today.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham (Alli 61'), Davies (70')
Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
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Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
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When is VAR used?
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Raghida, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Trolius, Ryan Powell, Simon Crisford
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
