Sao Paulo stadium death casts dark shadow over 2014 rush for readiness

Arena Corinthians

April 1 – Brazil’s World Cup preparations have suffered yet another setback with the death of a third worker at the Sao Paulo stadium that is being rushed to readiness to host the opening match on June 12.

Fabio Hamilton da Cruz fell about 25 feet to his death on Saturday morning and is the seventh worker to die in building Brazil’s World Cup arenas. Fatalities have also occurred in Manaus and Brasilia.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, who has just returned from another trouble-shooting tour of Brazil, tweeted that he was “very saddened by the tragic death”.

It was not clear if Saturday’s incident would prompt further delays but Sao Paolo’s Arena Corinthians stadium was one of the last of the 12 World Cup venues to get started. The construction worker who died on Saturday was helping to install the temporary stands when he fell.

The stadium was supposed to be finished in December but the delivery date was pushed back after two other workers were killed in November when a crane collapsed.

Meanwhile, work on stadiums in Cuiaba and Curitiba is still not finished, although the latter held its first game last weekend. Only small sections of the Arena da Baixada were open for the game between the hosts Atletico Paranaense and J Malucelli which ended in a 0-0 draw.

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