Construction Collapse in São Paulo Kills Two and Leaves Several Missing

Overview

• A building under construction fell onto a corner house in the Penha neighborhood in the early hours of Saturday, Sept. 12, killing two women and leaving multiple people unaccounted for.
• Rescue crews have continued manual searches with roughly 59 firefighters and 20 vehicles and have pulled at least one adult and one child alive from the rubble while several people remain missing.
• The site has a fraught regulatory history: the city filed a 2021 court action to demolish an irregular structure, issued a new execution permit in 2023 that required prior demolition, and a 2024 inspection that certified demolition is now under scrutiny.
• Authorities say heavy rain cannot yet be singled out as the cause and that investigations by the Polícia Civil and municipal bodies will examine possible construction irregularities, extra floors, foundation and structural methods, and allegations of falsified documents.
• The collapse destroyed the home of a Bolivian family of about 11 people, left nearby residences interdicted, and could trigger audits, prosecutions and changes to how São Paulo enforces construction permits and site inspections.