Dam in Brazil bursts water after pipe failure

A pipe from the Jati dam in the Brazilian state of Ceara burst on Friday, launching water dozens of meters into the air, and prompting the evacuations of workers and nearby residents.

2,000 people were evacuated from their homes and taken to shelters after the breach on Friday, while engineers evaluated risks to the local town.

The massive leak occurred at a construction site for the transposition of the waters of a major river, the Sao Francisco, to the dam.

The dam had been inaugurated by president Jair Bolsonaro in June.

The Ministry of Development says that, according to the assessments of engineers at the site, "there are no risks to the dam's infrastructure or to the surrounding regions".

The assesment said a team is doing maintenance of the equipment on site.