At least three killed in Rio building collapse

Three people were confirmed dead and 16 were still missing early Thursday after three office buildings, one of them 20 stories high, collapsed in downtown Rio de Janeiro, authorities said.

Officials in Brazil's second largest city said the three bodies were retrieved as rescue teams with search dogs and heavy clearing equipment sifted through the rubble. Rio state security officials said six people were hurt, including a woman who sustained head injuries and required surgery.
   
The collapse, apparently caused by structural problems, occurred late Wednesday. It took place near the municipal theater on the city's Cinelandia square, in a historic district bustling by day but nearly deserted at night.
   
Witnesses reported hearing an explosion and described scenes reminiscent of September 11, 2001, with walls of dust and debris."Three buildings collapsed: a 20-story building, a 10-story building and a smaller building of three or four floors," Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters late Wednesday, adding that "giving a total number of victims would be pure speculation."
   
Paes said the cause was not yet known, but that it was likely "structural problems." But police spokesman Rodrigo Pimentel told reporters Thursday that "illegal" work had been taking place in the 20-story building. "This may have affected the structure of the building. Construction material was also stored inside and this could have caused a breakup of the structure," he added.
   
Civil defense teams inspected nearby buildings, and area metro stations which had been closed reopened Thursday after thorough checks, officials said. However, a nine-story building in an adjacent street was evacuated as a precautionary measure.
   
A mountain of rubble filled the street, and thick dust covered nearby cars. The tallest building had housed several law offices, and construction work was being carried out on two separate floors.