RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 11 (NNN-XINHUA) — Nine people were killed after a fire at a settlement belonging to the Landless Workers’ Movement in the Brazilian Amazon, firefighters said.
The blaze at the Land and Liberty camp in the city of Parauapebas, a municipality in the state of Para in the northern region of Brazil, was caused by an explosion that set alight the electrical network running through the settlement.
Technicians from an Internet company who were working on the network accidentally connected the Internet cable to a high-voltage cable, causing an explosion, according to local media reports.
Two of the camp’s barracks quickly caught fire and were completely destroyed, and three workers and six camp residents were killed.
“Unfortunately, the tragedy is much greater than we imagined. There are at least nine dead, but more people might still be found … It is very sad,” said Darci Jose Lermen, mayor of Parauapebas.
According to local media, 37 people had to be treated for burns and excessive smoke inhalation. — NNN-XINHUA