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 The overpass ruins. | |
| Date | 3 July 2014 |
|---|---|
| Location | Belo Horizonte,Minas Gerais, Brazil |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 22 |
On 3 July 2014, anoverpass collapsed inBelo Horizonte, Brazil onto a busycarriageway below. The overpass was under construction and not open to traffic at the time. The accident left two people dead and 22 others injured.
The construction project was part ofinfrastructural improvements meant to prepare for the2014 FIFA World Cup that was taking place at the time of the collapse. The bridge was to be part of theMove (Belo Horizonte) [pt]Bus rapid transit system.[1][2][3] The concrete and steel bridge was located 3 kilometers from theMineirão, where many games at the World Cup were played. The construction began in 2010 and was scheduled to be completed in May 2014. The World Cup was already unpopular with the Brazilian public due to the heavy costs to tax payers.[1][2]
On 3 July 2014, theoverpass collapsed onto the busycarriageway Avenida Pedro I below. A bus and several cars were crushed under the rubble. The bus driver and another person were killed, and 22 other people were injured.[2][1][3] At least 12 of the injured were taken tohospital; five others were released following treatment at the accident site.[3][2][1]
Thecompany that was building the overpass, Cowan Construction, immediately set up a forensic team to investigate the causes of the accident.[3][2] Technical staff were sent out to the accident site on the day of the collapse.[2]
One witness criticised the involved authorities and businesses for "not making things properly" and blamed the accelerated construction schedules and their "incompetence" for the disaster. Thebank worker also claimed that "Everyone is angry."[1]President of BrazilDilma Rousseff offered her condolences "to the victims' families" in aTwitter post.[2] The City Hall of Belo Horizonte released a statement announcing thatMarcio Lacerda,Mayor of Belo Horizonte, had officially declared three days ofmourning in the city.[3][2]
