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
Multifamily Housing | Aug 9, 2017
Related Companies unveils plans for One Hudson Yards luxury rental residences
The 33-story tower will be positioned on the High Line with views of the Hudson River and downtown Manhattan.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 9, 2017
Multifamily developers, designers cater to occupants’ need for mobility
Bike storage facilities and “bicycle kitchens” are among the most popular mobility amenities in multifamily developments, according to a new survey by Multifamily Design + Construction magazine.
Giants 400 | Aug 9, 2017
Innovation at 72 design firms
The following is a list of advancements architecture and A/E firms underwent in 2016, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 9, 2017
Top 115 Architecture Firms
Gensler, Perkins+Will, and HKS top Building Design+Construction’s ranking of the nation’s largest architecture firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 9, 2017
Top 100 Architecture/Engineering Firms
Stantec, HOK, and CallisonRTKL are among the nation’s largest architecture/engineering firms, according to Building Design+Construction’s 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Contractors | Aug 4, 2017
4 ways to prepare for a negotiation
Practice, practice, practice, and understanding both sides of the deliberation are critical to success in any negotiation.
Laboratories | Aug 3, 2017
Today’s university lab building by the numbers
A three-month study of science facilities conducted by Shepley Bulfinch reveals key findings related to space allocation, size, and cost.
Lighting | Aug 2, 2017
Dynamic white lighting mimics daylighting
By varying an LED luminaire’s color temperature, it is possible to mimic daylighting, to some extent, and the natural circadian rhythms that accompany it, writes DLR Group’s Sean Avery.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 2, 2017
8 healthcare design lessons from shadowing a nurse
From the surprising number of “hunting and gathering” trips to the need for quiet spaces for phone calls, interior designer Carolyn Fleetwood Blake shares her takeaways from a day shadowing a nurse.