Aug 7 (Reuters) - Global miners BHP Group ( BHP ) and

Vale have offered around $1.4 billion to settle a

class action lawsuit in the United Kingdom tied to one of

Brazil's worst-ever environmental disasters, the Financial Times

reported on Thursday.

The lawsuit stems from the collapse in 2015 of the Mariana

dam in southeastern Brazil, owned and operated by the Samarco

joint venture of BHP and Vale. The disaster prompted legal

action from hundreds of thousands of people.

BHP is currently facing a London lawsuit that claimants'

lawyers have valued at up to 36 billion pounds ($48.29 billion).

The proposed settlement includes around $800 million in

compensation for victims and $600 million to cover legal costs

associated with the High Court proceedings, the report said,

citing people familiar with the matter.

The offer was reportedly made during a June meeting in New

York with Pogust Goodhead, the British law firm representing the

claimants, and their primary financial backer, U.S. hedge fund

Gramercy, the report said.

BHP and Vale did not immediately respond to Reuters'

requests for comment.

In October last year, BHP described allegations that a focus

on profit over safety contributed to the disaster as

"far-fetched and unjustified".

($1 = 0.7454 pounds)