Worker killed in electrical accident at Brazil World Cup stadium
Thu May 8, 2014 6:54pm BST
An aerial view of the Arena Pantanal soccer stadium in Cuiaba, April 25, 2014. REUTERS/Joel Marcos
(Reuters) - A worker at a World Cup stadium in the Brazilian city of Cuiaba was killed in an electrical accident on Thursday, temporarily halting construction of the stadium and adding to woes in the rushed preparations for the tournament.
Muhammad-Ali Maciel Afonso, 32, was the eighth worker to die at Brazil's World Cup arenas. He was working on the installation of a telecommunications network for Etel Engenharia, according to a state government official and an executive at the company.
The Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba is one of the most delayed stadiums being prepared for the tournament which starts June 12. The stadium has begun holding test matches, but workers are still adding seats, wiring and other finishing touches. An October fire caused structural damage at the stadium that has since been repaired.
The telecommunications networks are among the most delayed elements of half a dozen World Cup arenas, including Cuiaba, with industry groups scrambling to set up wifi and cell networks in as little as half the time they requested.
Work on the stadium was halted pending an investigation into the accident.
(Reporting by Eduardo Simoes and Brad Haynes; editing by Andrew Hay)
