Brazil’s World Cup 2014 preparations have suffered a deadly set back after a crane collapsed and killed two workers at the Sao Paulo stadium that is due to host the tournament’s opening match.
Corinthians, the football club that will move into the new stadium, confirmed the deaths of Fabio Luiz Pereira and Ronaldo Oliveira dos Santos in a joint statement with Odebrecht, the constructors of the Itaquerão stadium.
According to a report by The Guardian, Odebrecht said that the crane that lifted the last part of the structure of the metal roof of the stadium collapsed shortly before 1PM on Wednesday, the 27th of November, 2013, during a routine operation to put the final section of the cover over the north stand.
The death toll was originally reported as three people, but was later revised down to two.
This latest accident comes a week before the draw for the 2014 tournament and will revive concerns about the safety of infrastructure and the slow pace of construction, allegations of which have dogged Brazil for more than a year, the UK paper said.
Also known as the Arena Corinthians, the Itaquerão stadium will hold 70,000 spectators and is set to stage six FIFA World Cup 2014 matches, including the host nation’s opening fixture on the 12th of June, 2014. A semi-final match has also been pencilled in for the stadium.
The deadline, set by FIFA, for the completion of construction for the stadium is scheduled for December 2013.
Photographs by Brazilian media showed substantial damage to a perimeter wall. However, the joint statement released said that ‘the structure of the grandstand was not compromised’.
It added that “Teams of firemen are in place. At the moment all efforts are focused to provide full assistance to the families of the victims.”
Corinthians also announced that the club would respect seven days of mourning for the victims of the tragedy.
The stadium has since been evacuated and, according to a report by globo.com, the rescue effort is being led by the fire department with ambulances and a military police helicopter on hand to help.
One construction worker, José Mario da Silva, told the Brazilian news website that “I had walked right underneath the crane on the way to lunch. If it hadn’t collapsed at lunchtime, a lot more people would have died.”
FIFA president Sepp Blatter released a tweet expressing his condolences about the loss of life at the stadium:
“I’m deeply saddened by the tragic death of workers @Corinthians arena today. Our heartfelt condolences are with the families.”
Jérôme Valcke, Fifa’s general secretary, also tweeted: “Extremely shocked by the news from São Paulo. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this accident.”
He added: “We are currently awaiting further details from the authorities, who are investigating this tragic accident.”
A further statement from FIFA said: “FIFA and the LOC [local organising committee] have learnt of the death of workers at the Corinthians Arena site in São Paulo with great sadness. We wish to send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the workers who tragically died today.
“The safety of workers is the top priority for FIFA, the LOC, and the federal government. We know the safety of all workers has always been paramount for all the construction companies contracted to build the 12 FIFA World Cup stadiums.
“The local authorities will fully investigate the reasons behind such a tragic accident.”
FIFA said there would be an update once further details of the accident were released by the Brazilian authorities.
The deadline given to tournament organisers to have all the 12 stadiums completed and ready for operations is the 31st of December 2013. The Itaquerão stadium was 94% complete, according to reports.