SAO PAULO: A 26-storey building has collapsed after a huge fire tore through it in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Authorities have warned that the number of casualties could be high.
Witnesses also said that they could hear people screaming for help as the fire took hold and neighbouring buildings set on fire.
Footage shows the building crumbling to the ground after it exploded in a huge ball of fire and smoke. It has also been reported that the building was largely occupied by homeless people after the fire broke out on the fifth floor. In total 50 families were registered as living at the tower and around 160 firefighters went to the scene.
A receptionist at a nearby hotel said: ‘When I went to see what it was, the streets, which were deserted, were filled with people desperately trying to get away. ‘I was working at the time and I heard several people shouting. ‘Several clients left the establishment when they saw the fire. A hotel next to the burning buildings was also emptied and cordoned off.’
