A new coastal bicycle lane has collapsed in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, killing two people. A 50-meter stretch of the path, built on a rocky cliff, collapsed on Thursday. The path opened just 3 months ago. Fire department officials said they recovered the bodies of the two men from the sea. They said a search operation is still under way as other cyclists reportedly fell into the sea. The city built the bike path as part of a legacy project of the Rio Olympic Games, although the lane won't be used in an Olympic event. Municipal Secretary Pedro Paulo Carvalho said a third person was thought to be missing after a giant wave apparently swept up a rocky cliff, lifted an approximately 150-foot (50-meter) stretch of the bike path and sent it plunging onto the rocks and sea below. Rio's fire department confirmed only the two deaths. Local news media said two other people were rescued alive. Helicopters fished the two who died out of the water and laid them out on the golden sands of Sao Conrado beach. Initially covered by colorful beach sarongs, they were later shrouded by a sheet of black plastic. The bodies were left on the sand for hours, and waves periodically washed over them. A crowd of beachgoers gathered around the corpses, while others continued a game of beach soccer nearby. Thursday was a public holiday in Brazil, and with the weather sunny and warm, the city's bike paths, beaches and other outdoor recreational spots were packed. Carvalho said it was too early to tell what caused the accident and said an investigation was underway. Shoddy construction is a perennial problem in Brazil, where graft is a fixture of many construction projects. The entire 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) bike path, which links the tony beachfront neighborhoods of Sao Conrado and Leblon, is now closed, he said. The bike path is perched high above the water on concrete and metal pillars set into a rocky cliff. Inaugurated on Jan. 17 with much fanfare, the 45 million-real ($12.5 million) project was initially heralded as one of the most successful Olympic legacy projects, earning kudos for its spectacular views. But soon detractors began to complain that the brand-new structure was already showing signs of deterioration and that the narrowness of the path made cyclists easy prey for muggers.

from Liveleak.com Rss Feed - Search results for 'fail' http://ift.tt/1SfhvZ2
v

Bike path collapses in Rio killing two

Uploaded by: jironde

Views:

Category: Liveleak.com Rss Feed - Search results for 'fail'

Share

Tweet