Brazil's Sports Ministry said that at least two people died and one was injured in the collapse of a crane being used in the construction of the Corinthians Arena.
The stadium had been very close to completion when the boom of the Liebherr LR 11350 crawler crane fell while positioning the last module of the roof covering. It landed over a circulation area at the east end of the stadium and a large LED display. The grandstand´s structure was not compromised, according to the Corinthians club.
The crawler tracks of the 1,350-tonne capacity crane, owned by Locar Transportes Tecnicos e Guindastes, remained flat on the ground as the upper works were pulled off by the collapsing boom.
It was the 38th time that this type of process had been carried out during the construction and a similar piece was set less than a week ago in the south area of the stadium.
The stadium is being built by Odebrecht Infrastructure, which has been using Liebherr cranes including the large LR 11350 crawler, HC series heavy-load tower cranes and a 450 C top-slewing model. Liebherr has a strong presence in Brazil. Nine out of the 12 stadium construction projects for the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup are being conducted with help of Liebherr cranes.
FIFA expressed its condolences, adding that the safety of workers is the top priority. “We know the safety of all workers has always been paramount for all the construction companies contracted to build the 12 FIFA World Cup stadiums,” it said.
Brazil’s Department of Labour and the local authorities will investigate the reasons behind the accident.
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