Share

Worker dies at SWC stadium

Manaus - A construction worker died in Brazil early on Saturday after falling off the roof of a stadium in the Amazon jungle, adding to safety concerns as the country races to finish building in time to host the 2014 World Cup of soccer.

Marcleudo de Melo Ferreira, 22, died in a hospital in Manaus around 4 am, according to the local forensic centre. He fell nearly 35m after a cable broke.

Workers had already been killed at three of Brazil's 12 World Cup stadiums. Fatal accidents have occurred in Manaus, Brasilia and most recently in Sao Paulo, where two people died on November 27 after a crane collapsed in the arena that is to host the opening game on June 12.

Preparations for the World Cup have also been plagued by delays, accidents, cost overruns, and public anger over government waste that contributed to massive nationwide street protests last year.

Andrade Gutierrez, the Brazilian firm building the Amazon stadium, said in a statement that Ferreira worked for a company that had been contracted to build the arena's cover and an internal investigation of the incident would be conducted.

Manaus will host four games, including high-profile encounters involving teams from England, Italy, the United States and Portugal.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE