Eight people were reportedly found alive after the four-story building collapsed on Thursday, March 5
Credit: Corpo de Bombeiros Militar de Minas Gerais/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A nursing home in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, collapsed in the early hours of Thursday, March 5, according to local media reports
- Twelve people have died in the incident and an investigation is ongoing
- Authorities rescued eight people, while nine others escaped on their own. A total of 29 people were reportedly inside the building at the time of its collapse
Twelve people have died following the collapse of a four-story nursing home in Brazil, according to local media reports.
In the early hours of Thursday, March 5 at around 1:30 a.m. local time, the Casa de Repouso Pró-Vida nursing home in Belo Horizonte collapsed, trapping residents underneath the rubble, according to G1.
The Military Fire Department of Minas Gerais confirmed the tragedy on Facebook, sharing videos of the rescue mission.
Credit: Corpo de Bombeiros Militar de Minas Gerais/Facebook
A total of 29 people had been in the building at the time of the collapse, G1 reported, citing TV Globo. The victims include an 99-year-old woman, a 77-year-old man and a 96-year-old woman, O Globo stated.
The body of a 77-year-old woman was the last to be pulled from the rubble on the morning of Friday, March 6, the outlet added.
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"The room where she was supposed to be had a hole in the ceiling, the slab broke, and she fell to a floor below where she should have been,” Fire Department Lieutenant Elias Cristóvão told O Globo about the woman, citing statements shared by G1.
“We had to access the basement, search through the rubble, and we found her there. Unfortunately, she did not survive her injuries and is showing no vital signs," the lieutenant added, per the outlet.
Credit: Corpo de Bombeiros Militar de Minas Gerais/Facebook
Eight people were found alive amid the rescue mission, the outlet added. In addition to those rescued, nine people managed to get out of the building by themselves, O Globo noted.
Per UOL Notícias, the collapsed building also housed a gym and a tanning salon. The cause of the collapse is yet to be confirmed, the outlet stated.
The building’s owner also resided on the second floor of the property, according to O Globo.
“What is striking is that it wasn’t raining at the time of the accident," the Undersecretary of Civil Protection and Defense of Belo Horizonte, Elcione Menezes Alves, said of the tragedy, per G1. "This is not a high-risk area. Historically, there are no records of incidents occurring here."
Credit: Corpo de Bombeiros Militar de Minas Gerais/Facebook
Investigations are now being carried out by authorities amid suspicions that the collapse may have been caused by nearby construction work, O Globo reported.
"Our priority is to monitor the search and rescue operations, provide support to the victims' families […] and, at the same time, initiate the criminal investigation," Local Civil Police Detective Felipe Ribeiro said, per G1.
PEOPLE has attempted to contact the Military Fire Department of Minas Gerais for additional information.
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