Early fears ease after Brás building collapse, but safety checks continue

Early fears ease after Brás building collapse, but safety checks continue
A four-story commercial building collapsed on Rua Maria Joaquina in São Paulo’s Brás district on Friday evening, prompting a large emergency response and an initially uncertain search for possible victims.

The first reports stressed the scale of the operation and the unanswered questions. One account said the initial call referred to 25 people affected, while authorities had not confirmed that figure; it also reported preliminary information that four people might have been buried in the debris. Firefighters deployed 48 personnel and 16 vehicles, with police sealing off the area as rescue work continued.

Later information from the Fire Department painted a less severe picture. The building, reportedly a fabric store with nearly 900 square metres of built area, had 35 employees inside when it collapsed at 6:38 p.m. Eight left on their own and 27 were removed by responders. Four men suffered minor injuries and were taken to the Mooca urgent-care unit in stable condition.

Captain Karoline Magalhães, a Fire Department spokesperson, said before 9 p.m. that there were no victims under the rubble, although search dogs remained at the site as a precaution. “The fact that there are no victims, so far, is a welcome surprise,” she said, adding that responders hoped the incident would end without fatalities.

Both accounts agreed that the immediate danger had not fully passed. Civil Defense teams were examining neighboring properties for possible structural risks, while police and other authorities monitored the scene. The cause of the collapse had not been released; officials said a technical investigation would begin after rescue and safety work allowed it.

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