Brazil court freezes further $1.3 bln in Vale accounts over dam burst

A state court in Brazil on Sunday blocked 5 billion reais ($1.33 billion) in Vale SA assets to pay for damages from a tailings dam that burst at an iron ore mine, according to a statement from the state prosecutor's office in Minas Gerais.

Courts have now blocked a total of 11 billion reais in Vale's accounts against damages from the ruptured dam in the town of Brumadinho in Minas Gerais, which unleashed a torrent of mud. The confirmed death toll was at least 37, with roughly 250 people still missing. ($1 = 3.7695 reais) (Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)