The death toll from the collapse of a twelve-story building caused by heavy rains in the city of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, has risen to six people, including a seven-year-old girl, after the search efforts were concluded, local authorities confirmed this Sunday.
"The eight victims have been located after the collapse that occurred at Tequici Street, No. 65. Among the victims, two have survived: a girl and a man. Six fatalities have been confirmed: three women, one girl, and two men," the São Paulo state Fire Department indicated in a message on social media.
Subsequently, the Fire Department specified that its personnel "have concluded the location of all the victims." From now on, "the site will be under the responsibility of other authorities to continue forensic work and adopt the necessary measures," the statement added.
Hours earlier, in another publication, the agency had stated that its teams were continuing "in search of a seven-year-old girl, who remains missing under the rubble." Finally, the body of the minor was found among the ruins.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning on Tequici Street, in the Penha neighborhood, when part of a building collapsed and a portion of the debris directly impacted a neighboring house, causing serious material and human damage.
The collapse has particularly affected a family of Bolivian immigrants who worked in a sewing workshop located in the same building where they lived. According to data from the Police cited by the newspaper "Folha," from the state of São Paulo itself, the deceased had been settled in Brazil for nine years.
The remains are being transported to the city of Oruro, in Bolivia, at "the family's request," explained the lawyer from the Bolivian Consulate, Patrícia Veiga, who harshly criticized the conditions of the building where the victims lived.
"They had moved into the house a month ago. We believe it was not an accident, but a homicide. The conditions of the housing were very precarious," she emphasized.
Arrest warrants against those responsible for the construction
As a result of the tragedy, the Civil Police have arrested a man identified by the investigation as a hidden partner of one of the companies involved in the construction of the collapsed building, Ronaldo Vivacqua.
The authorities have also issued arrest warrants against his son, Cristiano Vivacqua —pointed out by the Police as the author of the project and the engineer responsible for the execution of the work—, and against Isis Brandão, who is officially listed as the owner of the company. Both are in an unknown location, according to the news portal G1, from the newspaper "O Globo".
According to the Civil Police, Ronaldo's name does not formally appear in the documentation of the two companies identified as responsible for the construction. However, investigators maintain that witness statements and old documents prove that he was involved in the management of the firm and in the execution of the work. "We have discovered that, in reality, he is a silent partner," declared police delegate Safira Borges Moreira Parente, who is leading the investigations.
Official condolences from Bolivia
Meanwhile, the president of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz Pereira, has expressed his "deep sorrow" and has conveyed his "most heartfelt condolences to the families of the Bolivian citizens who lost their lives in this tragedy".
Likewise, Paz has wanted to express in the same communication on social media his "solidarity (...) with all those affected" and has wished "strength and a swift and full recovery to the injured".
In parallel, the president has pointed out that the consular team of the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "maintains constant contact with the affected families and has offered assistance including the possibility of repatriation of their loved ones if they see it necessary".