Two Dead As World Cup Overpass Project Collapses
The host country has been basking in glory the past few days for a near perfect job of accommodating the 2014 World Cup only for it to crumble with another mishap.
At least two people were killed when an overpass under construction broke down Thursday in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The said accident trapped several vehicles including a commuter bus, two construction trucks and a private car which is a minute stain to an otherwise impressive job of hosting the Wolrd Cup.
In an official statement released by the government and reported by Yahoo! Sports, the total tally of casualties was two while 19 others were injured. The said inventory has not yet ascertained if any foreign tourists were among those injured or killed in the accident.
In the days leading up to the event, several concerns were raised on the ability of the host country to contain the number of tourists flooding the city, the security of the guests and the mobility of the players and officials alike. This was further compounded by a transport strike that was held just days before the opening of the tournament and a protest rally of militant groups during the opening day which centered on the government's priority to spend for the World Cup as against Brazil's basic needs in healthcare and welfare.
This incident is the latest setback to put the country in a bad light.
The construction of the said overpass began in 2010 as a part of a network of bus corridors and was supposed to be completed last May. Some of the parts of the said network are already functional but others were still pending completion.
The main reason for the collapse has not yet been determined by authorities and it was also unclear if any workers were trapped under the overpass. Local rescue units worked until late night using floodlights as the officials experienced trouble reaching the trapped car.
Belo Horizonte will serve as a venue for one of the semi-final matches in the World Cup, Tuesday and no official statement on the change of venue or the cancellation in the schedule has been made by FIFA.