Hopes fade for Sao Paulo victims

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/6265515.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The governor of the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo says it is unlikely anyone will be pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed underground station.

The station was under construction in Sao Paulo city when it gave way on Friday. The bodies of two women were pulled out on Monday.

It is feared five other people may be buried in the rubble.

Most of the missing were believed to be inside a minivan which witnesses said had been swept into the pit.

The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Sao Paulo says the search for survivors is looking increasingly desperate.

The crater is 30m deep (100ft) and 80m wide (260 ft) and hundreds of rescuers with earth-moving equipment are working at the scene.

However, Governor Jose Serra says he thinks it is already unlikely that anybody will be brought out alive.

'Engineering flaw'

The body of a 75-year-old woman, Abigail Rossi de Azevedo, who was walking past the construction site when it caved in, was found on Monday.

Rescuers later found the body of a second woman. She was thought to be one of at least three on board the minibus.

Another pedestrian and a lorry driver are also feared to be under the rubble.

The ground gave way on Friday afternoon in the central Pinheiros district, where workers were digging a large concrete-lined hole as part of construction work on the new underground station.

Lorries being used on site fell into the crater.

It took engineers several hours to stabilise a huge crane that was perched on the edge of the precipice and which threatened to tumble in.

An inquiry into what happened has been launched. Officials say heavy rains may have triggered the collapse.

But state deputy governor, Alberto Goldman, said he also thought a "major engineering flaw" aided the collapse.