\'It\'s Easier to Count the Living\': Disaster Shakes Brazil\'s Faith in Mining

‘It’s Easier to Count the Living’: Disaster Shakes Brazil’s Faith in Mining

As more bodies are recovered after deadly dam collapse, economic uncertainty grips communities worried about measures aimed at preventing another accident

The Brumadinho tailings dam disaster in Brazil has killed more than 100 people as of Thursday, with hundreds more missing and feared dead. This video shows the moment the disaster began. Photo: BAND TV
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BRUMADINHO, Brazil—The Ribeiro family, which settled in this small town a century ago, owes much of what it has to the nearby Vale SA iron-ore mine.

But the operation exacted a terrible price in January when a tailings dam burst, unleashing a torrent of mud and debris. Dozens of the Ribeiros’ relatives and friends are among the 333 dead and missing.

It...