A dam burst in the northeastern village of Cocal left a 12-year-old girl dead and three people missing, fire department officials said Thursday, according to Agencia Brasil, CNN reported.
The break occurred late Wednesday afternoon and was blamed on heavy rains in the state of Ceara, the state-run news agency said. Concern over the dam's integrity led officials to order the evacuation of Cocal residents for 15 days, but they were allowed to return this week after the dam was deemed to be safe, it said.
Fire officials said 800 to 2,000 homes located near the dam were inundated, but civil defense officials estimated 500 families - some 2,500 people - were affected.
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