May 28, 2013 -- Updated 1652 GMT (0052 HKT)
Brazil's preparations for a major international soccer tournament have
been hit by "human error" and heavy rain, which caused the roof of
Salvador's host stadium to partially collapse. FULL STORY
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VIDEO
May 28, 2013 -- Updated 1319 GMT (2119 HKT)
Part of World Cup stadium roof collapses
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Part of the roof of a soccer stadium in Brazil collapses in heavy rain
- Owners of the Salvador stadium say "human error" is to blame
- The stadium is due to host three Confederations Cup matches
- The tournament, which starts next month, is a warmup for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil
The Arena Fonte Nova is
due to host three matches in the eight-nation Confederations Cup,
considered a warmup for the 2014 World Cup also in Brazil, with the
first to be played on June 20.
But stadium
administrators now face major repairs after a triangular tear appeared
in one section of the roof on Monday as it buckled under the weight of
rain water.
The Fonte Nova
Participacoes (FNP) group, which manages the stadium, said in a
statement: "The breakup of a part of the 36 panels of the roof membrane
was (caused) by human error.
"The FNP checked the sealing cover the previous day, taking advantage of the non-operation of the Games stadium.
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"During this procedure a
portion of the membrane covering the metal deck was bent, which
eventually became a barrier, causing an accumulation of rain water which
prevented the correct outlets for drainage."
CNN affiliate TV Record
showed aerial images of the stadium staff using buckets to remove pools
of water from other sections of the roof to try to prevent further
collapses.
FNP said repair work was
already under way and that the stadium would be ready for its first
Confederations Cup match, a Group B tie between Nigeria and Uruguay.
It added that the roof
structure of the Fonte Nova arena had passed resistance tests, and
stressed that this was an isolated incident. However, it confirmed it
would now carry out a major inspection of the stadium.
The arena, in the
north-east city of Salvador, was the third purpose-built stadium to be
inaugurated ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
It will host six games
during the world football's prestigious event and won praise when it
passed its official test event last month.
But the partial roof
collapse is the type of public relations disaster Brazil is desperate to
avoid. The South American country is already drawing extra global
scrutiny as it hosts back-to-back major sporting events, with the 2016
Olympics in Rio de Janeiro following next year's World Cup.
Rio hard at work ahead of 2016 Olympics
Will Rio be ready for the 2016 Olympics?
Rio's Maracana stadium,
considered a cathedral of world football, finally reopened last month
after a two-year, $500 million renovation.
But the Joao Havelange
Olympic stadium in Rio, which is due to host the track and field events
at the Olympics and is also home to Botafogo football club, has been
closed indefinitely after it was found to have major structural flaws.
The Confederations Cup will also be a trial run of infrastructure -- from hotels to airports and urban transport.
More than half a million
tickets have already been sold and many fans will want to travel from
one city to another to follow their team.
The Confederations Cup
pits continental champions against each other, with world champions
Spain among the teams joining hosts Brazil.
For football fans it is a
chance to savor some end-of-season international action, but for Brazil
-- which last staged the World Cup in 1950 -- it is a chance to prove
it can again host a major sporting spectacle.
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