Search for Brumadinho’s Victims Reaches its 100th Day

By Xiu Ying, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The search for victims of the tragedy of Brumadinho, in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, reached its 100th day this Saturday (4th). According to the latest Civil Defense report, 235 deaths have been confirmed and 35 people are still missing.

According to Fire Department Lieutenant Pedro Aihara, this is already the largest search and rescue operation in Brazil, surpassing the work done in the landslides in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro in 2011.

Sniffing dogs, drones and aircraft have participated in the search. According to the Fire Department, the work continues daily, from 6 am to 11 pm, with meetings during the early hours. The operation will only be achieved when all victims are found or when there are no more biological search conditions.

According to the medical examiner of the Instituto Médico Legal (IML) Ricardo Moreira Araújo, more than 180 body parts rescued from the mud still await identification. He stressed that these fragments may belong to victims who have already had their deaths confirmed.