Box collapses during Peão Festival in Campo Limpo Paulista, leaving 24 injured

A barber who was in the cabin that partially collapsed due to the heavy rains that hit the Festa do Peão de Campo Limpo Paulista (SP), during the early hours of this Sunday (6), reports that the structure was overcrowded before the accident. At least 24 people were injured and needed to be taken to hospital.

Fernando Nogueira told TV TEM that he was accompanied by his wife and four-year-old daughter when the structure collapsed. He claims that many people went to the cabin to try to protect themselves from the storm.

"When we were in the separate box, we noticed that a lot of people started to climb into the box and there was only one security guard in control. When the heavy rain came down, I believe that the structure was unable to cope with the situation", he reports.

According to Civil Defense, the cabin gave way due to the crowd of people in the area during the rain — Photo: Civil Defense/Disclosure

During the heavy rain, Fernando claims he felt the structure sway before giving way. He even commented to a friend that he "knew this would make the news" the next day.

"It was a moment when I even commented to a friend that 'the way this is, this [the box] falls and we'll be in the news tomorrow'. I jokingly commented, but it didn't take five minutes and the box collapsed almost in half", he says.

The place where Fernando was with his family was not reached. Soon after, they left the event and returned home.

Fernando was with his family at the party — Photo: Reproduction/TV TEM

"At the time, it made people feel quite desperate. Some people fell and others reached out to pull those below. It was announced as 1.70m, but the structure was around 2 to 2.20m above the ground. We were quite worried, it's an issue that needs to be well analyzed", he comments.

Another visitor, who preferred not to be identified, said that people were already being warned that the cabin's structure could suffer damage throughout the night.

"For us, it was a disaster. Everything happened very suddenly. We were enjoying the party, but they were already warning people that there were problems with the cabin's structure", he claims.

Permit was not delivered

Professional claims that waterlogged soil may have contributed to the accident — Photo: Reproduction/TV TEM

Cleverson Nery, engineer and president of the Association of Engineers and Architects of Campo Limpo Paulista, was at the scene after the accident. According to the professional, the organization claims that it has all the documents requested by the city hall, but has not presented the permit.

"At the administrative level, the association asked about the operating license and the person responsible said yes, but he did not present it. The document needs to be fixed in place, so that the entire population has access to the knowledge", he explains.

According to the professional, the waterlogged soil caused by the rain may have contributed to the cabin's collapse, in addition to the number of people present in the structure.

"This entire structure is planned for a limit capacity, which must be fixed throughout the event. This must be ensured by the organization. It is important for large events to carry out a study of the soil, to understand its resistance and see if the structure can be there, without the risk of any movement", he details.

Accident left injured

Images circulating on social media recorded the commotion shortly after the area reserved for the separate box fell. It is also possible to observe people balancing and supporting themselves on railings.

The event organizers stated that they are investigating information regarding the occupation of the place, but pointed out that, due to heavy rain and adverse weather conditions, there was a crowd in the box and part of the structure gave way due to this concentration of people.

Box structure gave way during the 22nd Festa do Peão de Campo Limpo Paulista (SP), in the early hours of this Sunday (6) — Photo: Social Networks/Reproduction

Civil Defense confirmed that, as a result of the rain, several people sought shelter in the cabin, causing an overload and the collapse of one of the sides of the structure.

Of the total number of injured people, according to Civil Defense, 23 people were taken to the Hospital de Clínicas de Campo Limpo Paulista, 19 of which have already been discharged. Four were kept under observation, with discharge expected for this Sunday.

One victim was taken to Hospital de Caridade São Vicente de Paulo, in Jundiaí, for evaluation. On social media, the mayor of Campo Limpo Paulista, Adeildo Nogueira (PL), reported that it was an employee of the company responsible for assembling the stands who had a suspected fracture.

The event organizers stated that the separate box area was isolated and closed. “After the incident, the Fire Department carried out a new assessment of the event's structures, touring and checking the facilities, paying special attention to the equipment intended for the public”, informed the organizers.

The event program continued normally after the evaluation, according to the organization, and a new inspection was scheduled to evaluate the safety conditions for the continuation of the Festa do Peão.

Images circulating on social media show the commotion shortly after the area reserved for the separate box gave way — Photo: Social Networks/Reproduction

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