Collapse occurred on the mezzanine of a building while men were unloading a truck of fabrics in SP

The collapse that hit a business on Friday night (6), in Brás, central region of São Paulo, occurred in the mezzanine area of ​​the building, according to Captain Karoline Burunsizian, spokesperson for the São Paulo Fire Department. At the time of the accident, workers were unloading fabrics at the property.

A security camera recorded the moment of the collapse. The images show an intense movement of workers in the building and then a rush.

The Fire Department was called at 6:38 pm. The preliminary information received by the teams was that there were 35 employees inside the establishment; 27 people were removed by rescue teams, and the rest managed to get out before firefighters arrived.

Among the people removed by firefighters were two women. Four people were rescued and taken to the Mooca UPA in stable condition, but with abrasions and injuries to their arms and legs.

"There was a collapse of part of the mezzanine. It has a total area of ​​approximately 900 square meters, it was a map measurement that we made", stated the captain.

However, she highlighted that it was still not possible to determine the exact size of the affected area or what caused the collapse.

Searches for victims

Even without information on missing people, dogs from the Fire Department were used to search the area that suffered the collapse. According to Karoline, the store owner was at the scene and informed the firefighters that there were 35 employees in the establishment.

"There is no person missing. So, we are passing the dog off for conscience relief so that we can clear it, so that we have no doubt that there are no victims inside this establishment", he stated.

For the spokesperson, the fact that there were no fatalities was a "pleasant surprise":

Causes still to be investigated

The causes of the collapse have not yet been reported. The captain stated that the expert will be responsible for determining what caused the structural collapse.

Asked whether the weight of the fabrics could have contributed to the accident, she said that this analysis was not part of the firefighters' work at that time.

"The expert will do all the detailed work on why it collapsed, what the reasons were, whether or not it was overweight. This is not a concern for the Fire Department at this moment, but rather the search for lives," he stated.

The corporation also checked whether the establishment had a Fire Department Inspection Report (AVCB). Civil Defense was also called.

An engineer began to analyze the site to check whether there was a risk to neighboring structures.

According to Karoline, nearby buildings could be closed if a risk of collapse was identified. Until that moment, however, the properties were isolated for safety while responding to the incident, but there was no information that they were prevented from being visited.

The four rescued had abrasions and injuries to their limbs, according to the spokeswoman, and were not at risk of death.

'My soul left and returned to the body'

People who were inside the four-story building that collapsed on Friday night (6), in Brás, central region of São Paulo, reported their desperation to escape the property. One of the workers stated that around 30 colleagues were with him at the time of the accident and that the group had to leave through the roof, over the debris. The causes of the collapse have not yet been reported.

"It was terrifying, friend. It was a miracle from God. There were about 30 people inside. We were all trapped inside. My soul came out and returned to my body again. It was sad," said Vando de Jesus Bispo, who has worked loading fabrics for six years.

According to him, the people who were in the property helped each other to escape, and three friends were more seriously injured. One of the victims was porter Wesley Aureliano, who was left with bruises on his back (photo below).

Vando stated that there was a lot of merchandise inside the property and, when asked what could have caused the collapse, he pointed out the excess weight.

Felipe, another victim of the accident, said he was on the top floor when the structure began to collapse. According to him, he had just left fabrics at the scene.

Wesley Aureliano, victim of a collapse in Brás this Friday (6) — Photo: Abraão Cruz/TV Globo; and Reproduction

"How did I manage to get out? By being cunning. If the guy wasn't crazier than a madman in the middle of all that collapsing on top of you, the guy would stay there. If I didn't get out by pushing what's in front of me, I would die there", he said.

Rosilene Oliveira was sitting outside the store when the building collapsed. "I was sitting there and my husband had just walked in when it happened. It was sudden," she said.

Images recorded by Globocop show that the back of the building was completely destroyed, while the glass structure of the facade remained standing.

A neighbor of the property, Claudneia, said she heard the noise of the collapse and went out to watch the firefighters work. She claimed to have seen people being taken out alive.

"Around 6:30 pm, my daughter shouted 'mom, a truck hit the street'. Then I said 'no, daughter, there's no truck here'. Then she looked and there was already a lot of smoke. She said 'mom, it wasn't a truck, the store collapsed'", she said.

Felipe was in the building at the time of the collapse — Photo: Abraão Cruz/TV Globo

Injured on the tarps — Photo: Reproduction/TV Globo

Because the START Method, used in disasters, was activated. This happens when the number of rescuers is less than the number of victims. The objective is to triage victims according to the severity of their injuries to prioritize care for patients who are most likely to survive with the available treatment.

START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment).

The method evaluates four key points to determine priority, based on a set of simple and quick criteria, which should be applied in approximately 30 to 60 seconds per victim.

Rapid triage: First responders quickly assess patients and categorize them by color so that care is prioritized.

Capacity assessment:

Breathing: If the victim is not breathing, the airway opens. If breathing returns, the victim is classified as red. If you continue to not breathe, it is considered black/grey.

Perfusion: If breathing is normal, peripheral perfusion (how blood is circulating to the extremities of the body) is assessed. If it is normal (less than 2 seconds), the victim can be considered yellow.

Consciousness: If the victim is breathing normally and has normal perfusion, the level of consciousness is assessed. If it can follow simple orders, it may be classified as yellow.

Mobility: The rescuer asks if the victim can walk. If yes, it is green. If not, it is assessed again for breathing and perfusion.

Screening colors

🟩 Green: Minor injuries, which can walk and help others.

🟨 Yellow: You can wait (moderate injuries).

🟥 Red: Immediate care (serious, life-threatening injuries, but with a chance of survival).

⬛ Black/Gray: Deceased or with little chance of survival.

CET blocked streets around the accident:

Maria Joaquina Street

Blockade between Joli and Mendes Júnior streets,

Rua Xavantes and Rua Mendes Jr.,

Rua Oriente and Rua Xavantes.

Building collapses in Brás — Photo: Personal archive