Sao Paulo, Aug 30 (EFE).- At least two people died and 22 were injured when the roof of a Catholic sanctuary collapsed in the city of Recife, in northeastern Brazil, official sources reported.
The accident took place at the sanctuary of Conception Hill, in the northern area of Recife, while basic food baskets were distributed among the most vulnerable population, according to the Government of the state of Pernambuco.
According to helicopter images broadcast by Globo, the metal roof of the church, on which solar panels had just been installed, almost completely collapsed, leaving only four walls of the building standing.
The fatalities are a 54-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman, according to Brazilian authorities.
Recife Mayor João Campos told reporters that “most of the injuries are minor.”
The 22 injured were taken to local hospitals and clinics, some of which were removed from the rubble by local residents passing by.
Around fifty police officers and firefighters are now working to clear a path through the metal roof in search of new victims, although an initial inspection by sniffer dogs seems to indicate that there are no more dead.
On the other hand, police experts and Civil Defense technicians inspected the site to clarify whether the collapse “has any relation to the recent installation of solar panels” on the roof of the church, according to Campos.
“This is a time of great pain for our city. We are ready to alleviate all this pain. The absolute priority is to protect the lives of the victims,” stressed the mayor, who declared three days of official mourning in the city.
The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who on Friday fulfilled an agenda in the state of Paraíba, also in the northeast of the country, expressed solidarity with the victims through social networks.
«It is with great sadness that I learned of the two deaths and dozens of injuries, some in serious condition, at the Morro da Conceição sanctuary.. A tragedy. “My solidarity with the victims, their families, friends and the city of Recife at this time,” the president said.
