The largest mass lawsuit in English legal history will kick off on Monday as mining company BHP faces a multibillion-pound claim brought on behalf of about 620,000 alleged victims of one of Brazil’s worst environmental disasters.

BHP's tactics in Brazil may be going too far. On Friday, the miner, partner Vale and their Samarco joint venture in the country outlined a potential 132 billion reais ($23 billion) settlement with Brazilian authorities over a catastrophic dam failure in 2015.

Mining company BHP is being sued for billions of euros by victims of a dam collapse in Brazil back in 2015. This lawsuit will be one of the biggest of its kind in English legal history. View on eurone

Victims of Brazil’s worst environmental disaster took their case for compensation to a UK court on Monday, almost nine years after tons of toxic mining waste poured into a major waterway, killing 19 people and devastating local communities.

More than 600,000 Brazilians, 46 local governments, and around 2,000 businesses are suing BHP over the collapse of the dam in southeastern Brazil, which was owned and operated by BHP and Vale's Samarco joint venture.

Mining company BHP has released details of their proposed $40 billion settlement over the collapse of a dam in Brazil.