At least 2 people died and 22 were injured when the roof of a holy building collapsed in Brazil

2024-08-31 00:18:32

Least 2 people die and 22 were injured when the roof of a Catholic church collapsed this Friday in the Brazilian city of Recife, in the northeast of the country, official sources reported.

The accident occurred at the Morro da Conceição sanctuary, in the northern region of Recife, while basic food baskets were being distributed among the most vulnerable people, according to the Government of the state of Pernambuco.

According to aerial photographs published by the Globo network, the metal roof of the church, on which it is located solar panels that have just been installedcompletely collapsed, leaving the four walls of the house standing.

The deaths were a 54-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman, according to Brazilian authorities.

The mayor of Recife, João Campos, told reporters that “most injuries are minor“. 22 injured people were taken to hospitals and hospitals in the area, some of them were removed from the fields of neighbors who passed.

About 50 policemen and firefighters were working their way through the metal roof to search for victims, although initial checks by sniffer dogs indicated no casualties. know. On the other hand, police experts and Civil Defense engineers inspect the site. to clarify whether the collapse “had any connection with the recent installation of solar panels” on the roof of the church, according to Campos.

“It is a time of great pain for our city. We are ready to reduce all the pain. The most important thing is to take care of the lives of the victims,” ​​emphasized the mayor, who decided three days of official mourning in the city.

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who this Friday made his decision in the state of Paraíba, also in the northeast of the country, expressed his solidarity with the victims through social networks. “It is with great sadness that I read about two deaths and many injuries, some in serious condition, in the sanctuary of Morro da Conceição. A tragedy. My solidarity with the victims, their families, friends and the city of Recife is this time”, said the president.