BRAZIL: An explosion causes two adjacent buildings to collapse in Rio de Janeiro's downtown district, injuring at least 11 people with more feared dead

Record ID: 216324

  • Title: BRAZIL: An explosion causes two adjacent buildings to collapse in Rio de Janeiro's downtown district, injuring at least 11 people with more feared dead
  • Date: 27th January 2012
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (JANUARY 25, 2012) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF COLLAPSE SITE SHOWING BUILDING THAT REMAINED STANDING NEXT TO COLLAPSED BUILDINGS FIRE FIGHTER TRUCK POSITIONING ITSELF NEAR COLLAPSE SITE RUBBLE TRACTOR DIGGING THROUGH RUBBLE FIRE FIGHTER CLIMBING RUBBLE VARIOUS OF RUBBLE VARIOUS OF TRACTOR BREAKING THROUGH CONCRETE AMBULANCE DOCTOR WHO HELPED R
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil, Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVAAIAEPNYET7KYPYAUNQ1RH6EOA
  • Story Text: An unknown explosion caused two buildings to collapse in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday (January 25), injuring at least 11 people with more feared dead.
    This was the latest incident highlighting concern over the authorities' abilities to improve the city's infrastructure amid preparations to host soccer's World Cup and the Olympics.
    Rescue crews pulled four people alive from the debris, with no dead bodies found by midnight, but some feared dead; local media said.
    Although some media outlets reported at least two fatalities in the collapse, the information has not been confirmed by officials.
    A loud explosion thought to be caused by a natural gas leak preceded the collapse of the two buildings, one 20 and the other 10 storeys high. The surrounding area was covered in debris and dust.
    City authorities are assessing the risk of collapse of a damaged adjoining building, local newswires reported, without giving the source of the information.
    Light, the electricity distribution company serving the city, cut power to the area to avert the possibility of fires after a strong smell of gas was detected.
    Doctor Jose Antonio Diniz said he rushed to the collapse when he heard the news and helped rescue the building's doorman, who escaped with minor injuries.
    "We managed to rescue only one person up to now. This person had superficial injuries and will be examined, of course, but he was conscious and said his name was Marcelo and he was the building's doorman," he said.
    Severino, a man who was walking on the other side of the street when the building collapsed, described the incident like 9/11.
    "At first I thought someone was throwing rubble, that it was nothing serious. Then I started to take some steps back and all of a sudden the building collapsed, it came down completely. It looked somewhat like that September 11 incident," he said.
    Rio de Janeiro is struggling to address concerns over poor infrastructure as it prepares to co-host the soccer World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games two years later.
    The incident comes months after an explosion apparently caused by a gas leak ripped through a restaurant in downtown Rio, killing three people and igniting concerns over the state of the city's infrastructure.
    In recent months, Rio's inhabitants have had to deal with unexpected explosions of sewer lines and landslides in some city slums caused by heavy rain and deforestation.
    Traffic in the area and service in neighbouring subway stations was been suspended, the television channels reported.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register