At least nine dead and 31 injured after slab collapsed on top of bleachers during a meeting between workers and political candidates inside a Brazilian warehouse
- Nine people were killed and 31 others were injured after a concrete slab fell on a seating section at a warehouse’s auditorium in São Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday
- At least 64 workers were in a campaign meeting at a Multiteiner warehouse with political candidates Ely Santos and Jones Donizette when the slab crushed them
- While both of the candidates were pulled out from the rubble, Ely Santos required hospitalization and the extent of her injury is unknown
At least nine people have been confirmed dead and 31 others injured after a concrete slab fell on a row of seats at a warehouse in the southeastern Brazil state of São Paulo on Tuesday morning.
Authorities have yet to release the names of the four men and five women who were killed in the tragic accident at the shipping container center in the municipality of Itapecerica da Serra.
Among the injured are congressional candidates Jones Donizette and Ely Santos, who was hospitalized.
At least three people suffered serious injuries.
Brazilian political candidate Ely Santos (pictured sitting) receives attention after she was pulled out of the rubble at a warehouse in São Paulo on Tuesday morning. She and fellow candidate Jones Donizette were concluding a campaign meeting with about 64 workers and were about to leave the auditorium located on the mezzanine when a concrete slab fell on the seating section, causing it to collapsed to the ground level
Authorities said that four men and five women were killed in the warehouse’s auditorium collapse
Fire department Luciana Soares told reporters about 64 workers were participating in a campaign meeting with Donizette and Santos inside an auditorium located in the mezzanine level at the Multiteiner warehouse when the slab collapsed onto the seating section shortly before 9am local time.
Alexandre Moraes, who works at the warehouse as a painter, told G1 that he was in his seat when the auditorium plummeted to the level below.
‘Everyone was on top and it collapsed,’ he said. ‘I just saw it falling. I got stuck and they helped me out.’
At least 80 members of several first responder agencies participated in the rescue. All of the victims were accounted for as of 4pm.
Danilo Moraes told online portal UOL Noticias that his sister Julcimara de Moraes, 35, was among the dead.
‘She had only been working her for seven months,’ he said.
It’s unknown if Alexandre Moraes and Julcimara de Moraes are related.
Josi Meneses, 39, said he had quit the warehouse only a week ago and knew all of the people who died.
The Itaceperica da Serra city government said that while the state environmental agency was in charge of issuing the warehouse’s operational permit, the facility’s has been ‘improperly altered.’
Jones Donizette, who is running for a congressional seat in São Paulo, Brazil, was among the 31 people who were injured Tuesday morning when a concrete slab collapsed on a seating section in the mezzanine of a warehouse. Four men and five women were also killed
Workers at the Multiteiner warehouse attempt to enter a section of the warehouse after a concrete slab fell on an auditorium and sent it crashing to the ground level, killing nine people and injuring 31 others
A video footage on Santos’ Instagram account showed her sitting on the ground outside the auditorium while she was being tended to by two individuals.
Another person dressed in work gear was on the floor sitting against a wall waiting for assistance.
A male individual could also be seen running out of the auditorium as two other men stood near a wall that had collapsed.
A sniffer dog searches the rubble for potential survivors following Tuesday morning’s warehouse collapse in São Paulo, Brazil
The city government of Itapecerica da Serra said the auditorium seating was located in the mezzanine level, which has been ‘improperly altered’
Brazilian congressional candidate Ely Santos rests on a hospital bed after suffering an undisclosed injury in the warehouse collapse Tuesday morning
Brazilian political candidate Ely Santos is provided aid after she was pulled out from the rubble
Donizette’s campaign office told Brazilian news outlet G1 that he and Santos were saying their goodbyes to the workers when the slab crushed the group.
Four members of his staff were rescued from the rubble and rushed to a local medical facility.
After the incident, Donizette took to Instagram to share photo of himself standing outside the warehouse. He was dressed in his white t-shirt that was covered in stains.
‘Jones Donizette is deeply sorry and sympathizes with the families of the victims of this disaster, and asks for prayers for the speedy recovery of the hospitalized victims,’ he wrote.
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