Two people are dead and at least 13 are missing after two dams holding back mining waste were breached and a wave of mud swept through the Bento Rodrigues district of Mariana, Brazil, Thursday afternoon. Witnesses say the town, which has a population of 620 people, was completely flooded, reports BreakingNews.com. 

"It looked like a volcano," local resident Maria do Carmo Silva told the Associated Press. "I don't know how I managed to escape. God held the mud back. I saw a lot of people running and calling other people to let them know. I have a neighbour who did not want to go and wanted to go back to the house to pick up something. I don't think she survived, although the majority of people did."

Officials said that four people were injured by the flood and only around ten of the village's approximately 200 houses were left standing, leaving most of the population without shelter. Hundreds of people who survived the collapse are staying in a gymnasium that has been turned into a makeshift shelter. Others were sent to local hotels

Officials have not said what caused the breach, but Guilherme de Sa Meneghin, public prosecutor for the State of Minas Gerais said there would be a criminal investigation into why there was no alarm system in place. 

"Every report we've heard until now shows that there were no sirens - no advanced warning - before the dam burst and to me this is a complicated matter. It is a basic (procedure) to have sirens because things can happen at any moment, even natural disasters. The population needs to be aware."

(MORE: Pond Overflows and Dam Gives Way) 

"The material that came out after the dam burst is iron ore matter, which is considered inert, so there is no other consequence apart from the obvious physical consequence of the mudslide itself," said Ricardo Vescovi, President of Samaco Iron Ore, which owns the mine. "It affects the lives of people and it affects the environment because of the volume of the mudslide, but it is not toxic."

Samarco mining company has released a statement indicating the organization is "mobilizing every effort to prioritize care for people and the mitigation of environmental damage. The authorities were informed and responsible teams are already in place to provide assistance.” 

Mariana Secretary of Social Defense Bras Azevedo said the situation there is still very serious and there is a risk of more landslides. 

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