Building that collapsed in Brás received at least four large loads of fabrics in 15 days, according to BO

Workers who were in the four-story building that collapsed on Rua Maria Joaquina in Brás, in the center of São Paulo, on Friday night (6), reported to the Civil Police that the property had been receiving intense loads of fabrics in the days leading up to the accident.

The collapse occurred in the mezzanine area of ​​the building, which served as a store and fabric storage space. At the time of the accident, 35 employees were inside the establishment, unloading the cargo.

According to the person responsible for hiring the workers, the store received around four loads in the 15 days before the collapse. Each of them would have between 1,200 and 1,500 spools of fabric.

He told police that each roll weighed between five and eight kilograms. Considering these estimates, each load could represent 6 to 12 tons of fabrics.

A man who acted as an assistant in the operation reported to the police that, on the day of the collapse, there were between 1,600 and 1,800 coils at the site, with an estimated weight of between 10 and 15 kilos each. He also said that each worker used to carry two to three rolls at a time.

The building did not have a Fire Department Inspection Report (AVCB). The document certifies that a building meets the fire and panic safety conditions required by law.

In addition to the 35 workers, two women, mother and daughter, responsible for the store, were also in the establishment at the time of the collapse. Employees also reported the presence of a man who had entered the store to use the bathroom.

Of the total, 27 people were removed by rescue teams, and the rest managed to leave before firefighters arrived.

Four people were rescued and taken to the Mooca UPA in stable condition, but with bruises and injuries to their arms and legs. The victims remained hospitalized this Saturday morning (7).

Reports recorded in the police report indicate that all the people who were at the site would have left alive, but sniffer dogs indicated the possible presence of people under the rubble on Friday night.

According to Captain Karoline Burunsizian, spokeswoman for the Fire Department, there is no other evidence that there are victims under the rubble.

Rescue work resumed this Saturday morning, with the support of a backhoe. According to firefighters, the instability of the terrain and the imminent risk of structural collapse prevent manual work from continuing safely.

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.

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.