BHP AND VALE WILL HAVE EXTERNAL INVESTIGATION FOR DAM COLLAPSE

BHP Billiton and Vale have commissioned an external investigation into the deadly dam collapse in Brazil.

BHP chairman Jac Nasser told the BHP annual meeting in Perth that it would take some time to fully understand what happened at the Samarco-operated mine it co-owns with Brazil’s Vale.

The November 5 collapse of an iron ore tailings dam killed at least 11 people, while eight more remain missing, BHP (BHP) said today.

Brazilian authorities say hundreds of thousands of people have been left without drinking water because of the flood of waste from the Samarco mine.

“Together with Vale we have agreed to commission an external investigation into the collapse of the tailings dam,” Mr Nasser said, adding that the disaster had “shaken” everyone at BHP.