Embargoed work is wall to wall with a daycare center in the East Zone of SP, after a collapse that left six people dead

Construction has been blocked since last year and there is a children's school wall to wall in the East Zone. City Hall carried out an inspection this Wednesday (16), and the teaching unit is evaluating the interruption of classes.

By Gian Dias, TV Globo and g1 SP — São Paulo

A project by the same construction company responsible for the building that collapsed in Penha, in the East Zone of São Paulo, leaving six people dead, is next to a daycare center in the region. Construction has been blocked since last year, but the situation worries parents and residents, who fear possible risks to the children's unit.

The daycare center is just over 1 km from the site of the collapse that occurred on Saturday (12), on Rua Tequici. The building is “wall to wall” with the daycare center.

Given the situation, the school held a meeting with the children's parents to discuss the possibility of stopping classes. The decision depends on the results of an inspection carried out by São Paulo City Hall this Wednesday (16).

The land where the construction is being built does not have signs identifying the work, and the walls of the top floor of the building under construction appear to be unsecured. There is also a large amount of rubble accumulated on the land's facade.

The proximity to the daycare center increased apprehension among parents, especially after the collapse of the building in Penha.

Residents also told TV Globo that, after the collapse, the construction company's headquarters, which is in the same region, did not open its doors.

Collapse left six dead

The building under construction that collapsed in the early hours of Saturday (12), on Rua Tequici, in Penha, fell on a house. Six people died, including a pregnant woman. Two other victims were rescued with injuries: a 7-year-old child and a man in his 30s.

The building that collapsed had already been the target of inspections and legal action by the City of São Paulo. According to the municipal administration, the person responsible for the property had requested a permit in 2019, but the request was rejected.

After inspections, application of fines and banning of the work, the City Hall went to court in 2021, asking for the demolition of an irregular construction that existed on the land. One of the fines imposed reached R$119 thousand.

The court even granted an injunction ordering the work to be halted. In 2022, a new project was presented. In August 2023, the City Hall issued a permit to carry out the new work, conditional on the demolition of the previous structure.

An inspection carried out in February 2024 recorded that the demolition had been completed, and the legal process ended.

After the collapse, however, the City Hall opened an investigation at the Municipal Comptroller General (CGM) to investigate the inspection procedures. According to the administration's preliminary findings, the demolition required for the construction of the new building would not have been carried out.

The employee responsible for the report that attested to the demolition was initially dismissed for 30 days. The Civil Police are also investigating the case.

Building collapse in Penha, East Zone of SP — Photo: TV Globo