Accident at Brazil World Cup Stadium Kills 2

27 Nov, 2013

Two workers were killed on Wednesday when a crane collapsed at the stadium staging the opening match of next year’s World Cup of soccer, causing damage to the exterior and renewing questions about whether Brazil will be ready to host the event on time.

Construction workers had been racing to finish the stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, prior to a December deadline imposed by world soccer body FIFA.

Andres Sanchez, a former president for the Corinthians soccer club who is helping oversee construction, told reporters that a crane collapsed while lifting a piece of the stadium’s roof into place, sending the piece tumbling down.

He said the cause of the accident was still unclear and said any possible delay to construction was “the least of our worries.” The union representing the workers said it expected construction would be frozen for up to 30 days while authorities investigate.

Two workers at the site were killed, Sanchez said, with no additional casualties. Emergency officials had previously given conflicting information on the death toll and possible injuries.

The incident casts yet another shadow over Brazil’s preparations for the World Cup, which have been plagued by delays, accidents, cost overruns, and public anger over government waste that contributed to massive nationwide street protests last year.

Workers have now been killed at three World Cup stadiums – in Sao Paulo, Brasilia, and Manaus. Officials have expressed worries about facilities in Manaus and Cuiabá being ready by a December deadline, and Wednesday’s accident seems likely to delay Sao Paulo as well, though it’s unclear for how long.

The São Paulo stadium, formally called Arena Corinthians but known locally as Itaquerão for the area where it is located, was 94 percent complete at the time of the accident, according to the stadium’s website. The facility is due to host the Cup’s opening match on June 12 next year.

The accident capped a tough day for Sao Paulo, which earlier on Wednesday lost its bid to host the 2020 World Expo. Dubai was the winner.

Reuters

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