Building Collapses in Brás, São Paulo; Search for Victims Continues
Listen to the story
A building collapsed in Brás, a district of São Paulo, Brazil, leaving people trapped in the rubble.
More than 24 hours after the collapse, firefighters are still searching through the debris for possible victims.
Police investigating the collapse say the building received four cargo loads of fabric in the 15 days before it fell.
This information has raised questions about whether the building was storing too much weight inside.
Brás is known as a major centre for the textile and clothing trade in São Paulo.
Many small businesses in the area store large amounts of fabric and goods in old buildings.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the collapse.
Emergency teams continue to work carefully through the ruins, hoping to find survivors.
The death toll and number of missing people have not been given in detail.
Local officials are expected to give more information as the investigation continues.
Vocabulary10 words
- collapsed
- fell down suddenly and completely
- firefighters
- workers who handle fires and emergencies
- debris
- broken pieces left after destruction
- cargo
- goods transported by vehicle
- fabric
- cloth material
- ruins
- the remains of a destroyed structure
- death toll
- the number of people who died
- investigation
- official checking to find facts
- textile
- related to cloth and fabric making
- survivors
- people who stay alive after a disaster
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Quiz
Answer key
1. A centre for the textile and clothing trade 2. It received four cargo loads of fabric in 15 days 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A building _____ in Brás, a district of São Paulo, Brazil, leaving people trapped in the rubble.
More than 24 hours after the collapse, _____ are still searching through the _____ for possible victims.
Police investigating the collapse say the building received four _____ loads of _____ in the 15 days before it fell.
This information has raised questions about whether the building was storing too much weight inside.
Brás is known as a major centre for the _____ and clothing trade in São Paulo.
Many small businesses in the area store large amounts of fabric and goods in old buildings.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the collapse.
Emergency teams continue to work carefully through the _____, hoping to find _____.
The _____ and number of missing people have not been given in detail.
Local officials are expected to give more information as the _____ continues.
Discussion questions
- Why might storing heavy cargo in an old building be dangerous?
- What challenges do firefighters face when searching through rubble?
- Why do you think Brás has many buildings used for storing textiles?
- How might authorities prevent similar collapses in the future?
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