Brazil’s Gerdau buys out Sumitomo Corp and JSW in Gerdau Summit
The transaction is expected to close in early 2025.
A breach at a rock salt mine in Alagoas state, in Brazil’s northeast, has heightened concerns about an imminent total collapse.
A video shared by the mayor of Maceió, João Henrique Caldas showed murky water bubbling up in the Mundaú lagoon near the city, where the mine is situated. The mine, operated by the Brazilian petrochemical giant Braskem, is closed.
Às 13h15 de hoje, a mina 18 sofreu um rompimento, no trecho da lagoa próximo ao Mutange. Estarei em instantes sobrevoando a área com os nossos técnicos. A Defesa Civil de Maceió ressalta que a mina e todo o seu entorno estão desocupados e não há qualquer risco para as pessoas.… pic.twitter.com/7sCZmYsRFB
— JHC (@jhcdopovo) December 10, 2023
Over the past four decades, tens of thousands of residents have been displaced due to the devastation caused by the extraction of rock salt. The rupture, which led to water from the lagoon entering the mine, occurred at 13:15 local time (16:15 GMT) on Sunday.
The mayor added that the extent of the environmental damage still cannot be measured.
Braskem is facing a 1 billion reais ($200 million) lawsuit over damages that its salt mines have caused —sinking ground in Maceió and forcing evacuations.
The company has set aside 14.4 billion reais ($2.9 billion) so far to address issues related to the sinking ground in the city.
The company also said it has disbursed 9.2 billion reais ($1.86 billion) of the total provisional funds since 2018, when cracks in streets and buildings formed in five neighborhoods.
(With files from Reuters)
