The Sao Paulo’s Itaquerao Stadium collapsed on Wednesday, killing three workers. The stadium is set to house the 2014 World Cup and there is no certainty if it will be ready.
There was substantial damage to the – nearly complete – structure.
Television images showed a huge metal structure buckled atop the stadium, destroying part of the stands in the east side of the venue. A LED panel installed outside the venue also was hit.
Luckily the accident happened during the worker’s lunch break, or more injuries and deaths could have occurred.
Local military police say the soil beneath the crane gave way as it was putting the final truss of the east stand into place. Project bosses of the stadium admitted last week they were facing an uphill battle to get it ready for the opening match of the World Cup.
Cranes and diggers have been working on the site – six years after the nation was awarded the tournament.
The stadium is able to hold 70,000 people and was almost ready for the June 12th opening. No word yet if it will be completed.
It was scheduled to host five other matches and was initially built for the Confederations Cup this year, but was scrapped when the construction was delayed due to financing issues.
I'm deeply saddened by the tragic death of workers @Corinthians arena today. Our heartfealt condolences are with the families.
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) November 27, 2013
“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,” it said in a statement. “The local authorities will fully investigate the reasons behind such a tragic accident.”
Image via YouTube