Rio de Janeiro: two buildings collapsed in a favela and there are at least three dead and 17 missing

At least three people died on Friday and 17 more are missing due to the collapse of two buildings in Muzema favela, in western Rio de Janeiro, according to Brazilian authorities.

The buildings of six floors each collapsed around 10 am (local time).

Ten people, including a girl, were rescued from the rubble, but one of them died later.

"It's an extraordinary tragedy," said Rio de Janeiro Mayor Marcelo Crivella, in statements collected by Agencia Brasil.

Municipal authorities cordoned off the scene, fearing the collapse of two other neighboring buildings.

The local executive reported that the two buildings that collapsed were illegal constructions.

We know that the favela Muzema is controlled by a criminal gang. "The place being dominated by militias, municipal technicians need the support of the military police to carry out inspections," said Rio de Janeiro City Council.

The two buildings collapsed several days after torrential rains shook Rio de Janeiro, killing at least ten people and causing significant property damage, a balance that led the city government to declare the state of the city to be the worst. emergency, said the agency Ansa.