In January 2019, Israel assisted Brazil in one of the biggest disasters in Brazilian history, the rupture of the Brumadinho dam. The country was the only one to offer assistance at the time. The tragedy killed 270 people and caused great environmental and property losses. Soon after the structure collapsed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a troop of about 130 people to be sent to Brazil to help locate victims. The Israeli government sent rescue teams and equipment to locate victims amid the mud in an operation led by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and articulated by the Israeli embassy in Brazil. Israel's ambassador, Yossi Shelley, personally accompanied the searches. In four days of operation, the Israeli mission located 35 missing people, with no survivors. In recognition of Israeli aid, Governor Romeu Zema paid tribute to members of the mission for their joint efforts with Brazilian teams.