Canopy Collapses on Faria Lima Avenue, Injures Two in São Paulo

A canopy collapsed on Tuesday morning (22) inside a commercial building on Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue, in Pinheiros, western São Paulo, injuring two people. Firefighters responded to the incident, reported around 6:45 AM, at number 1,355 on the avenue.

Victims taken to hospitals

According to firefighters, one victim suffered a head injury — a carotid-cavernous fistula — and was taken to Hospital das Clínicas in initially serious condition. The other person, conscious and alert, suffered an open fracture of the tibia and fibula and was taken to Hospital São Paulo.

According to Civil Defense, accumulated rainwater from an overnight storm likely caused the structure to give way. Because the collapse happened inside the building, the avenue did not need to be closed.

Storm also disrupted traffic and flights

Beyond the Faria Lima canopy, the storm knocked down trees across the city. In Higienópolis, for instance, a man suffered a minor leg injury after being struck by a falling tree. The heavy rain also caused roughly 900 km of traffic jams across São Paulo and disrupted flights at Guarulhos and Viracopos airports.