SP City Hall recorded seven calls about the risk of collapse in buildings in Brás in 2026

A commercial building collapsed in the region on Friday (6) and left dozens of people injured. Incidents were opened between January and September via portal 156 and do not necessarily mean that the risks identified have been confirmed.

The collapse of a four-story building in Brás, in the center of São Paulo, on Friday (6), drew attention to the situation of other properties in the neighborhood. Until September this year, São Paulo City Hall had registered seven calls from the population due to the risk of collapse at different addresses in the region, according to data from portal 156.

The records were opened by phone or email and do not necessarily mean that the risks identified have been confirmed. All protocols appear as “finalized” in the system, but without information about the outcome of each case.

This Monday (9), employees from the collapsed building returned to the site, on Rua Maria Joaquina, but for a different role than the one they performed before the accident: removing the fabrics that remained under the rubble. The work was monitored by the Fire Department.

The property was used as a fabric warehouse and did not have an AVCB (Fire Department Inspection Report) nor a current operating license. The 35 people who were at the scene survived.

Calls registered in the neighborhood

One of the seven calls registered on portal 156 was opened in January and indicated a risk of collapse at the Eduardo Prado State School, on Rua Almirante Barroso, around 200 meters from the building that collapsed on Friday.

The problem was related to work carried out next to the school, and the construction was blocked by the City of São Paulo.

A cosmetics store on Miller Street also appears among the addresses that had calls for a risk of collapse. The registration was made in July and was related to a neighboring building that was under construction.

The other addresses mentioned in portal 156 records are on Campos Sales, André de Leão, Piratininga, Martim Buchard and Coronel Mursa streets.

Properties began to be used as large inventories

The Brás Shopkeepers Association claims to have noticed, in the last three years, a change in the function of part of the region's buildings. According to the entity, with the growth in the trade of imported products, at least 10% of the spaces no longer function as stores, which traditionally prioritized free areas for the circulation of customers.

Now, according to Alobrás, part of these same buildings have started to be used as large stocks, without control, for example, over the quantity of products that can be stored.

The president of the association, Lauro Pimenta, states that the high value of rent in the region encourages those who use the properties as inventory to make the most of the spaces.

“We are in a region where rent is high, those who rent for inventory want to optimize the space and, sometimes, the structure does not match,” he said.

According to him, it is necessary to assess whether the structures of the properties can support the stored weight and whether the existing permits and permissions are compatible with this type of activity.