Flyover collapses in Brazil World Cup host city

Semiu Salami
Semiu Salami

An overpass in Brazil has collapsed on a bus in the World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte, killing at least one person.

The bridge was under construction and fell onto traffic on a busy highway, with the aerial TV footage showing the front of a yellow bus crushed under part of the bridge. It is not yet clear if people are trapped.

The city, located in the south-east of the country, is due to host one of the World Cup semi-final matches next week.

A woman who was driving the bus was killed when the flyover collapsed, the Associated Press news agency quotes firefighter Federico Pascual as saying.

Brazil’s GloboNews 24-hour news channel reports that at least 19 people were injured.

“When I saw the flyover falling down, I feared the worst would happen, that the bridge would turn on top of our bus,” Renata Soares, who said she was sitting at the back of the yellow bus that was crushed, told GloboNews.

Another witness speaking to the channel, Daniel Magalhaes, said that the moment the bridge collapsed felt “like an earthquake. The ground shook violently. I heard a very loud bang”.

The scene of the accident is near the Mineirao Stadium, which has played host to several World Cup matches.

It is located near the busy district of Lagoa da Pampulha.

The unfinished flyover was part of the World Cup infrastructure plan aimed at improving Belo Horizonte’s public transport system.

Brazil’s preparations for the World Cup were marred by accidents and missed deadlines.

At least seven people were killed working on stadiums prior to the start of the tournament.

Last month, a worker was killed after a beam fell during construction of a monorail in Brazil’s biggest city, Sao Paulo.

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