A family cannot afford the rent of R$ 3,000 for a three-bedroom house in Brumadinho's overheated real estate market. They decide to move to a neighboring municipality, where a similar property costs R$ 1,500 per month.
A homemaker reports to Procon (consumer protection agency) inflated prices of cleaning products, meat, and diapers in local stores.
There is a shortage of labor for some services, while new job positions are filled by workers attracted by repair works.
A 12-year-old student arrives at school with a recently launched cellphone. His 18-year-old brother wants to buy a car. Each of them received R$ 100,000 in compensation as orphans of the tragedy caused by the rupture of the Córrego do Feijão dam in January 2019.
These situations are part of the daily life of the city that experienced the mine disaster of Vale nearly five years ago, which claimed the lives of 270 people.
A sea of mud containing 9.7 million cubic meters of tailings spread across the Paraopeba River basin, affecting 26 municipalities.
The social, environmental, and economic impacts of the tragedy are visible in the physical and psychological ailments of residents, population growth, and the rise in the cost of living.
It is estimated that the municipality with 38,915 inhabitants actually houses almost 50,000, considering a floating population of about 10,000 employees hired for repair works.