Death toll from Brazil dam collapse climbs to 115

The death toll from the collapse of a tailings dam in Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais has risen to 115, with 248 still missing, the state civil defense authorities said on Friday.

The number of victims who've been identified remains at 71, said Flavio Godinho, deputy coordinator of the regional civil defense, during a press conference.

The disaster occurred in the municipality of Brumadinho on Jan. 25 when a tailings dam owned by the mining company Vale collapsed and sent 13 million cubic meters of sludge and mud down the hill.

The mudslide buried a nearby community and Vale's administrative center and cafeteria, where it was reported that hundreds of people were eating during the time of the accident.