Nine members of the fire brigade were killed yesterday Sunday when the roof of a cave in which they were training in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo collapsed, the authorities announced.
"There are nine dead," while "one person was rescued" and "there are no other victims on the ground," the Sao Paulo fire department said via Twitter. The accident happened around midnight (local time) Saturday to Sunday inside the Douas Boas cave, in a private area near Alcinopolis, about 300 kilometers north of the city of Sao Paulo, the capital of the homonymous state.
"The roof of the cave collapsed" while a group of 28 firefighters participated in an exercise inside, the fire department explained. The fire brigade initially spoke of 15 of its men being buried, but later clarified that the five were able to get out of the cave.
They were injured, but were able to return home after being treated in hospital. The area of Alcinopolis is famous for its caves, which are a magnet for tourists who visit it.