RIO DE JANEIRO — The top executives at Vale, Brazil’s largest mining company, agreed over the weekend to step aside temporarily at the request of prosecutors who are building a case of criminal negligence following a dam collapse at a Vale mining complex that left hundreds dead in January.

In a court document issued on Friday, federal and state prosecutors urged Vale to suspend its chief executive, Fábio Schvartsman, and eight other top executives, while the investigation into the Jan. 23 disaster in the town of Brumadinho in Minas Gerais state continues.

The legal filing, which contends that officials at Vale ignored warning signs and had inadequate safety protocols, made the unusual request that the company bar the top officials from company facilities and force them to cease all business operations.

Vale announced late Saturday night that its board of directors had agreed to heed the suggestion, saying Mr. Schvartsman and the other top officials would step down temporarily.