RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Rescuers on Thursday recovered three bodies from the rubble of three buildings that collapsed in downtown Rio, highlighting the creaky infrastructure of the city that will host the 2014 soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
The buildings, one 20 floors high, collapsed on Wednesday night in a cloud of dust and smoke just one block away from the city's historic Municipal Theater.
Rescue teams pulled six people alive from the rubble, but at least 16 people were still missing, authorities said. The buildings were mostly used for office space during the day and were almost empty at the time of the disaster.
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes said the cause of the collapse could have been a structural failure caused by work being done on one of the buildings. He said there was no gas leak that could have caused an explosion.
"The work on one of the buildings could have been the cause. They could have bungled it. That's one hypothesis but it is speculation," Paes told CBN radio broadcaster. "We will investigate this fully, because it is not normal for a building to collapse," he said.
Rio is struggling to address concerns about its decrepit infrastructure, unreliable power supplies and deficient public transportation as it prepares to host global sporting events.
Construction and renovation of 12 stadiums for the soccer World Cup in 2014 is behind schedule and there is concern that Brazil's overcrowded and inefficient airports will be not able to handle masses of sports fans expected to attend the events.
The building collapses come months after an explosion apparently caused by a gas leak ripped through a restaurant in downtown Rio, killing three people and igniting more concern about the state of the city's infrastructure.
In recent months, Rio's inhabitants have had to deal with exploding sewer lines and landslides in the city's slums caused by heavy rain and deforestation.
The collapsed buildings had a bakery and an Itau Unibanco Holding bank branch on the ground floor and were near the headquarters of state-run companies such as oil giant Petrobras and development bank BNDES.
Witnesses said they heard the structures cracking and saw plaster falling before the buildings collapsed, causing panic in the streets and covering parked cars with dust and debris.
"It was like an earthquake. First some pieces of the buildings started to fall down. People started to run. And then it all fell down at once," a witness who identified himself as Gilbert told Reuters.
One man said he was on the 10th floor and ran down the stairs just in time to escape the collapse. BD+C
Related Stories
| Feb 24, 2022
Signs of ‘Antiwork’ appear in the architecture industry
Reddit's r/Antiwork forum highlights the mounting pressures everyday workers face in a purely capitalistic society. AEC industry professionals are not immune to these pressures.
Office Buildings | Feb 23, 2022
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building tops out
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building, topped out on Feb. 10, 2022.
Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2022
More bad news on sea level rise for U.S. coastal areas
A new government report predicts sea levels in the U.S. of 10 to 12 inches higher by 2050, with some major cities on the East and Gulf coasts experiencing damaging floods even on sunny days.
Wood | Feb 18, 2022
$2 million mass timber design competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon (entries due March 30!)
To promote construction of tall mass timber buildings in the U.S., the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and USDA Forest Service (USDA) have joined forces on a competition to showcase mass timber’s application, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution.
University Buildings | Feb 18, 2022
On-campus performing arts centers and museums can be talent magnets for universities
Cultural facilities are changing the way prospective students and parents view higher education campuses.
University Buildings | Feb 17, 2022
A vacated school in St. Louis is turned into a center where suppliers exchange ideas
In 1871, The Carondelet School, designed by Frederick William Raeder, opened to educate more than 400 children of laborers and manufacturers in St. Louis. The building is getting a second lease on life, as it has undergone a $2 million renovation by goBRANDgo!, a marketing firm for the manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Feb 17, 2022
Metal roofing trends
New ideas in design and constructability are radically changing how metal systems are used as roofing for commercial and institutional buildings. Behind the investment in these new kinds of expressions and construction approaches is a growing interest in improved performance and reduced environmental impact. Metal roofing systems can cut cooling and heating loads significantly, according to the EPA.
Data Centers | Feb 15, 2022
Data center boom: How two AEC firms plan to meet unprecedented demand for data center facilities
Ramboll's Jim Fox and EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Rick Einhorn discuss the recent joining of their companies at a time of unprecedented data center demand. BD+C's John Caulfield leads the discussion with Fox, Ramboll's Managing Director for the Americas, and Einhorn, EYP Mission Critical Facilities' Managing Director.
Architects | Feb 15, 2022
Binkley Garcia Architecture and Goodwyn Mills Cawood join forces in Nashville
Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) is pleased to announce the acquisition of architecture and interior design firm Binkley Garcia Architecture in Nashville.
Resiliency | Feb 15, 2022
Design strategies for resilient buildings
LEO A DALY's National Director of Engineering Kim Cowman takes a building-level look at resilient design.