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Work halted at WC stadium marked by death

April 1, 2014 - 20:19 By Korea Herald
SAO PAULO (AP) ― Labor officials are halting construction in part of the World Cup stadium where a worker died this weekend, creating a problem for Brazilian organizers trying to get the venue ready for the tournament’s opening match in less than three months.

Fast Engenharia, the construction company in charge of the temporary seats, said in a statement that it received the notification from Sao Paulo’s labor secretariat late Monday.

The officials said the installation of the temporary seats must be stopped until additional safety measures are implemented by constructors.

Fabio Hamilton da Cruz, 23, died after falling while working on the temporary structures on Saturday.

Authorities said an initial probe showed he didn’t connect himself to a safety cable at the time of the accident. According to witness accounts, the worker said he only had a “quick thing” to finish at the site.

Fast Engenharia said the worker had all required safety equipment available to him.

According to the UOL website, the labor officials said protective netting could’ve prevented the death even if the worker didn’t use the safety cable.

“Company directors on Tuesday will analyze the technical demands made by (labor officials) and then will make an announcement about the case and its consequences to the construction timetable,” Fast Engenharia said in its statement.

FIFA and the local World Cup organizing committee did not immediately answer a request for comment on Monday.

Construction was already behind schedule at the Itaquerao stadium because of the damage caused by another accident that killed two workers following a crane collapse in late November.