Itaquerao stadium design. Image courtesy of Copa2014
Three workers have been killed in Brazil after a crane collapsed whilst installing part of a stadium’s roof in time for the 2014 Brazil World Cup.
The R$ 820 million (£218 million) Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo will host the opening game of the competition, with construction expected to be finished next month.
In a statement, football’s governing body FIFA said it was waiting for more details on the tragedy, but said:
“The safety of workers is the top priority.”
Brazilian football club Corinthians, which will take-over the stadium after the competitions, said:
This is the latest in a number of issues that Brazil has faced in preparing for the world’s biggest sporting event, with protests held across the country earlier this year in protest of the way billions of reais were being spent on entertainment rather than basic schooling and healthcare for the population. The Brazilian government was also forced to admit earlier this week that the cost of building the eight stadiums had swelled by more than 14 percent to $8 billion (£4.9 billion).
