Three killed as section of World Cup stadium collapses

Three deaths were reported in Sao Paulo on Wednesday as the stadium due to stage the opening match at next year’s World Cup suffered a partial collapse.

Pictures shown in Brazilian media, including the website of newspaper Estadao, showed structural damage at the Arena Corinthians, with part of a roof having fallen away to the ground and with a crane also felled and damage caused to another stand.

Corinthians, the club that will move into the stadium, issued a short statement on their website that said: “The board of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista deeply regrets the accident earlier in Corinthians Arena.

“(There is) no other information at this time.”

Estadao quoted a police officer, Mauro Lopes, as saying it was believed there were three fatalities.