London, UK — A UK High Court has ruled that global mining giant BHP Group is liable for Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, a 2015 dam collapse that killed 19 people and devastated villages along the Doce River.

High Court Justice Finola O’Farrell confirmed on Friday that BHP, despite not owning the dam at the time, bears responsibility for the catastrophe due to unsafe practices in raising the dam’s height, which she called the “direct and immediate cause” of the collapse.

The Disaster

On November 5, 2015, the tailings dam at the Samarco iron ore mine ruptured, releasing toxic sludge equivalent to 13,000 Olympic swimming pools into southeastern Brazil’s Doce River. The disaster:

• Destroyed the village of Bento Rodrigues and damaged other towns.
• Left thousands homeless and flooded surrounding forests.
• Killed 14 tonnes of freshwater fish and polluted 600 km (370 miles) of the river.
• Severely affected the Krenak Indigenous people, for whom the Doce River holds sacred significance.

BHP owns 50% of Samarco, alongside Brazilian mining giant Vale.

Legal Proceedings

The London lawsuit, filed due to BHP’s UK-registered legal entity, involved 240,000 claimants and was valued at up to £36 billion ($48bn). BHP maintains it will appeal the ruling, arguing that the UK case duplicates settlements already made in Brazil.

Brazil’s federal government reached a multibillion-dollar settlement with the companies in 2024. Under the agreement, Samarco pledged 132 billion reais ($23bn) over 20 years to compensate for human, environmental, and infrastructure damage. BHP stated that many claimants had already received compensation in Brazil.

“While BHP continues to contest liability, the ruling reinforces corporate accountability for cross-border environmental harm,” experts said.

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Key Takeaways

• BHP found liable in UK court for 2015 Brazilian dam collapse.
• The disaster killed 19 people and destroyed villages along the Doce River.
• Settlement in Brazil already in place, but UK lawsuit continues.
• Highlights corporate responsibility for environmental and human rights impacts.