Rio residents brace for more building collapse after deaths and damages

After a four storey building collapsed on Friday in west Rio de Janerio, the residents of the area were scared that the rains that began again on Sunday could cause additional damage. After the Muzema building collapse other buildings near it were evacuated for fear of new collapses.

Rio de Janeiro: After a four storey building collapsed on Friday in west Rio de Janerio, the residents of the area were scared that the rains that began again on Sunday could cause additional damage.

In the last incident a building collapsed in Muzema region, in which nine people died, eight were injured and 15 are missing. Civil defence workers and firefighters were searching for the survivors in the rubble. After this incident other buildings were evacuated for fear of new collapses. Residents were only allowed into their homes for a few minutes to retrieve personal belongings.

According to Rio Mayor Marcelo Crivella the area was run by militias that control large swaths of Rio, including the area where the buildings stood. The collapsed buildings were considered illegal constructions. Militias, which are made up of former firefighters, police and soldiers, charge residents for basic services in areas they control. Now the people living in the area are worried about the future consequences, if the heavy rain continues in the city.