Three people have been
killed in an accident at a Sao Paulo stadium that is due to host the
opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup football.
A senior local fire official said crews were called to the Arena Corinthians after reports of a collapsed crane.
It reportedly fell on to the stadium, destroying parts of the stands.
The arena was due to be completed at the end of December to
meet a Fifa deadline. Brazil has admitted it is struggling to have all
12 venues ready.
'Round-the-clock' warning
Reports in local media say the crane fell on the metallic structure of the stadium, which is also known as Itaquerao.
Part of the stand - believed to be in the southern sector - was damaged.
Rescue teams are checking the site to see if there are more victims.
Corinthians, the club that will move into the new stadium, said in a short statement that it "deeply regrets the accident".
The venue is being built by Brazil's Odebrecht company, who recently said the arena was about 94% ready.
Six of Brazil's stadiums - including Itaquerao - are not yet ready for the World Cup next summer.
Construction problems and public protests about the money
being spent have delayed the preparations, the BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio
de Janeiro reports.
On Tuesday, Danny Jordaan, who was behind South Africa's
preparations for the 2010 World Cup, said Brazil might have to start
round-the-clock construction work if it was to get things ready for the
tournament.
No comments:
Post a Comment