Part of the stadium due to host the opening match of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil collapsed on Wednesday, killing two building workers and causing severe damage to the structure.
The roof at the Arena Corinthians, in the Itaquerão district of São Paulo, suffered damage following an accident which involved a crane working on the construction.
The crane that hoisted the last module of the structure of the metal roof in the stadium collapsed and caused the fall of part of the east building - partially crashing into a massive LED panel that runs across the stadium's facade.
Former Corinthians President Andrés Sánchez told a news conference that two people were confirmed dead.
The stadium has been evacuated and the rescue effort was being led by the fire department with ambulances and a military police helicopter also on hand to help.
"I walked right underneath the crane on the way to lunch. If it hadn't collapsed at lunchtime, a lot more people would have died," one worker told Globoesporte.
FIFA also expressed their condolences, releasing a statement shortly after the incident.
It read: "FIFA and the LOC have learnt of the death of workers at the Arena Corinthians' site in São Paulo with great sadness.
"We wish to send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the workers who tragically died today.
"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."
The accident could further delay delivery of the stadium, which was practically finished before Wednesday's collapse.
It was initially expected to be built for the Confederations Cup this year, but delays with financing for the venue prompted authorities to scrape the stadium from the World Cup warm-up tournament.
The 70,000-seat venue is scheduled to stage six World Cup matches, including a semi-final.
The accident wasn't the first problem with World Cup stadiums in Brazil.
One worker died during construction of a stadium in the capital Brasília last year and another in the Manaus venue in March.
In April, a roof partially collapsed at the new Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador because pools of rain proved too heavy for one of the membrane panels.
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| An aerial view of the area where a crane collapsed on the site of the Arena Corinthians Photo: Reuters |
The roof at the Arena Corinthians, in the Itaquerão district of São Paulo, suffered damage following an accident which involved a crane working on the construction.
The crane that hoisted the last module of the structure of the metal roof in the stadium collapsed and caused the fall of part of the east building - partially crashing into a massive LED panel that runs across the stadium's facade.
Former Corinthians President Andrés Sánchez told a news conference that two people were confirmed dead.
The stadium has been evacuated and the rescue effort was being led by the fire department with ambulances and a military police helicopter also on hand to help.
"I walked right underneath the crane on the way to lunch. If it hadn't collapsed at lunchtime, a lot more people would have died," one worker told Globoesporte.
FIFA also expressed their condolences, releasing a statement shortly after the incident.
It read: "FIFA and the LOC have learnt of the death of workers at the Arena Corinthians' site in São Paulo with great sadness.
"We wish to send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the workers who tragically died today.
"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."
 | |
| A metal structure that buckled sits on part of the Arena Corinthians Photo: AP |
The accident could further delay delivery of the stadium, which was practically finished before Wednesday's collapse.
It was initially expected to be built for the Confederations Cup this year, but delays with financing for the venue prompted authorities to scrape the stadium from the World Cup warm-up tournament.
The 70,000-seat venue is scheduled to stage six World Cup matches, including a semi-final.
The accident wasn't the first problem with World Cup stadiums in Brazil.
One worker died during construction of a stadium in the capital Brasília last year and another in the Manaus venue in March.
In April, a roof partially collapsed at the new Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador because pools of rain proved too heavy for one of the membrane panels.
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