Two dead in World Cup collapse
An overpass under construction has collapsed in a World Cup host city, killing at least two people and trapping a commuter bus, two construction trucks and a car, Brazilian authorities say.
Nineteen people have been reported injured in the incident, which took place on one of the infrastructure improvement projects planned for the World Cup.
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But like most urban transportation projects related to the tournament it was not finished on time for the event.
A woman who was driving a commuter bus trapped by the overpass died, said Federico Pascual of the Belo Horizonte fire department. An official in the mayor’s office said a second person died, raising the death toll to two.
The official said 19 people were known to be injured so far. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to talk to the media about the incident.
The overpass collapsed about five kilometres from the Mineirao stadium, which has hosted several World Cup matches in recent weeks and is the site of a semi-final match on Tuesday.
The overpass “arched over a really busy thoroughfare,” Pascual said.
Security camera footage showed heavy traffic on the street below the structure the moment that the overpass collapsed, striking vehicles below and trapping them underneath.