'My soul left and returned to the body', says porter who was in a building that collapsed in Brás, SP

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 above).

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.

"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.

Collapse

The commercial building is located on Rua Maria Joaquina, in Brás, central region of São Paulo. There were 35 people at the scene at the time of the accident, 27 were removed by firefighters, 8 left by their own means, 4 of which were injured and were taken to a UPA.

According to preliminary information, all people managed to leave the building alive. The majority had minor injuries, and some victims were helped by the rescue team and the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu).

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

Injured

Paramedics treat the injured at the site of the collapse.

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