Brazil – ‘People Trapped’ As Inferno Collapses Sao Paolo Tower (Video)

A 26-floor apartment building that was occupied by squatters has gone up in flames and subsequently collapsed in the centre of the Brazilian city of Sao Paolo. The number of dead is at this point unknown as police had no idea how many people were inside.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5sfiUUHKikA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

So far one body has been found but police fear the death toll could swell in the next few hours. Some 50 families had moved into the property after it had been vacated in the past.

An unknown 58-year-old woman who lived illegally on the fourth floor admitted: "It felt like a tsunami when the building came down."

"I could not take anything with me."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sao Paolo fire: Shock footage emerges of horror tower block blaze in Brazil as terrified residents scream for help <a href="https://t.co/IPaEUdQVHH">https://t.co/IPaEUdQVHH</a> <a href="https://t.co/7lo4lukKZU">pic.twitter.com/7lo4lukKZU</a></p>&mdash; Daily Star (@Daily_Star) <a href="https://twitter.com/Daily_Star/status/991242368350343169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

170 firefighters, along with some members of the army and local volunteers, tried to battle the blaze but were unable to stop the building collapsing afterwards.

Mr Flabio Gabia, who works as a receptionist in a hotel around the corner said:

"At first, I thought it was a fight but then I heard people shouting: get out, get out!"

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING An abandoned office tower in Sao Paolo Brazil goes up in flames and collapses. Police say was occupied by squatters. Victims are expected, but fire crews not confining yet how many. The latest, on 6abc <a href="https://t.co/hpNDCxR2NH">pic.twitter.com/hpNDCxR2NH</a></p>&mdash; Tamala Edwards (@TamEdwards6abc) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamEdwards6abc/status/991260006367547393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"When I went to see what it was, the streets were filled with desperate people. I heard several people shouting."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="es" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brasil?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brasil</a>: Reportan derrumbe de rascacielos tras incendio.<br><br>Según las autoridades brasileñas, un fuerte incendio azotó dos edificios en el Centro de Sao Paolo, lo que ocasionó el derrumbe parcial de uno de ellos. <a href="https://t.co/4AZ3Znwghc">pic.twitter.com/4AZ3Znwghc</a></p>&mdash; Meganoticias 19 GMV (@Meganoticias19) <a href="https://twitter.com/Meganoticias19/status/991280222367617026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The building was located in the Largo do Paissandu area of the city.

Source:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sao-paulo-fire-tower-building-collapse-death-toll-brazil-latest-updates-a8330696.html