RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A top research institute in Brazil is warning of a potential health crisis following the collapse of a dam containing large amounts of mining waste.
At least 134 people were killed in the Jan. 25 accident in the southeastern city of Brumadinho.
Health experts at Fiocruz on Tuesday detailed a wide range of diseases and health conditions that similar disasters have led to in local communities.
These include the spread of dengue, yellow fever and diarrhea in the short term. In the long-term, experts said studies point to higher incidents of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular complications.
Experts based their assessments largely on the aftermath of a similar disaster in 2015. The Mariana dam collapse, in the same state of Minas Gerais, is considered Brazil’s worst environmental disaster.
