Around 200 firefighters and 13 helicopters participated in the search and rescue work in Brumadinho, Brazil. Israel sent 130 soldiers and 16 tons of material to the site to help with the operation. "Saving lives is not a question of distance, but how far to go you are ready," the armed forces wrote before heading off to Brazil on Twitter. However, rescue workers were unable to find any survivors in Brumadinho on Sunday.

There a dam on the iron ore mine Córrego do Feijão of the Brazilian mining company Vale was broken on Friday. A huge mudslide rolled over parts of the facility and adjacent settlements, burying houses, cars, and roads.

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Dam failure: devastating mudslide in Brazil

According to recent data, the accident killed 58 people. Previously, at least 37 fatalities had been mentioned. According to the civil defense authority, 305 people were missing on Sunday - the number of dead is therefore likely to rise.

Governor of the state of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, said police, fire and soldiers have done everything to save survivors. "But we know that from now on, the odds are tiny and we'll probably only find corpses."

Search for survivors briefly interrupted

How it came to the accident is still unclear, according to Vale President Fábio Schvartsman. He spoke of a "terrible tragedy". The prosecutor initiated an investigation to investigate those responsible for the accident. TÜV Süd tested the dams last year, as the company in Munich confirmed on request. "We will fully support the investigation and provide the investigation authorities with all necessary documentation."

According to Vale boss Schvartsman, no defects were discovered in another inspection on 10 January. Built in 1976 and 86 meters high dam was intended for demolition.

Video: Dead and missing after mudslide

Video

DPA

The experts had feared another disaster at the mine on early Sunday morning: Vale triggered alarm because of rising water levels at another dam. The fire department called on the people of the city of Brumadinho to move to high altitude areas. The search for the missing persons was temporarily stopped. A little later, the Civil Defense Authority announced that there was no danger.