Officials say the death toll from the mine dam collapse in Brazil has increased to 65 people and that 279 people are missing.

The death toll earlier Monday stood at 60.

Lt. Col. Flavio Godinho of the Minas Gerais state civil defense department also told reporters Monday that 192 people have been rescued, a number that has not changed since an earlier announcement about those rescued.

Officials have said they expect the death toll to rise exponentially.

Brazilian mining company Vale says a lawyer who said the company's board of directors would not step down following a mine collapse that killed at least 60 people was not authorized to speak for the world's largest iron ore producer.

Monday's statement came after Vale lawyer Sergio Berdumes said in an interview in the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper that no wrongdoing has been proven. He also told the newspaper that there was no negligence.

Vale says the company's board is trying to discover the facts of what happened following the collapse of the dam at an iron ore complex, which buried buildings owned by Vale and inundated neighborhoods.

(AP)