A UK High Court judge has found BHP Group legally liable for the 2015 tailings dam collapse in Brazil, a disaster linked to claims valued at up to £36 billion. Justice Finola O’Farrell ruled that unsafe increases to the dam’s height were the "direct and immediate cause" of the failure. The collapse killed 19 people, released waste equivalent to about 13,000 Olympic pools into the Doce River and contaminated roughly 600 km of river. BHP says it will appeal; Samarco previously agreed a 132 billion reais ($23bn) settlement in Brazil.
UK High Court Rules BHP Liable for Brazil’s 2015 Dam Collapse — Landmark Ruling on £36bn Claims
A UK High Court judge has found BHP Group legally liable for the 2015 tailings dam collapse in Brazil, a disaster linked to claims valued at up to £36 billion. Justice Finola O’Farrell ruled that unsafe increases to the dam’s height were the "direct and immediate cause" of the failure. The collapse killed 19 people, released waste equivalent to about 13,000 Olympic pools into the Doce River and contaminated roughly 600 km of river. BHP says it will appeal; Samarco previously agreed a 132 billion reais ($23bn) settlement in Brazil.
02:36 PM, 11/14/2025Environment
UK judge finds BHP liable in Brazil’s worst environmental disaster
A UK High Court judge has ruled that global mining giant BHP Group is legally liable for the catastrophic 2015 tailings dam collapse in Brazil, a disaster that claimants’ lawyers previously estimated could be worth up to £36 billion ($48bn) in damages.
Key ruling
High Court Justice Finola O’Farrell said on Friday that BHP — which held a 50% stake in Samarco, the Brazilian operator of the mine — was responsible even though it did not own the dam at the time of the failure. The judge found that the decision to continue raising the dam’s height when it was unsafe was the "direct and immediate cause" of the collapse, meaning BHP can be held liable under Brazilian law.
"Continuing to raise the height of the dam when it was not safe to do so was the direct and immediate cause of the collapse," Justice O'Farrell wrote.
Disaster and impact
The tailings dam ruptured on 5 November 2015, unleashing tonnes of toxic mining waste into the Doce River in southeastern Brazil. The collapse killed 19 people, destroyed the village of Bento Rodrigues and severely damaged other downstream communities, leaving thousands homeless.
Researchers estimate the spill dumped an amount of waste equivalent to about 13,000 Olympic-size swimming pools into the river. A study by the University of Ulster reported that roughly 600 km (370 miles) of the Doce River were contaminated and that about 14 tonnes of freshwater fish were killed. The river is also culturally central to the Krenak Indigenous people, who regard it as sacred.
Legal and financial context
The London claim was lodged because one of BHP’s principal legal entities was based in the UK at the relevant time. The civil trial began in October 2024, days before Brazil’s federal government reached a multibillion-reais settlement with the companies involved.
Under that Brazilian settlement, Samarco — which is co-owned 50/50 by BHP and Brazilian miner Vale — agreed to pay 132 billion reais ($23bn) over 20 years for human, environmental and infrastructure remediation. BHP has argued that the UK lawsuit is unnecessary and duplicates the Brazilian proceedings; the company says many claimants have already been compensated in Brazil.
BHP response and next steps
BHP said it will appeal the UK ruling and continue to contest the claims in London. The London case involves roughly 240,000 claimants, according to the company’s statement.
Why it matters
The decision is significant because it holds an international parent company accountable in UK courts for corporate conduct connected to a foreign subsidiary and could influence how cross-border environmental liability cases are pursued in the future. It also renews attention on long-term environmental and social consequences for the affected communities and ecosystems in Brazil.
Timeline: Dam rupture — 5 Nov 2015; UK trial opened — Oct 2024; UK ruling — 2025 (Justice O'Farrell).