Worker crushed to death while building stage for Shakira’s Copacabana Beach concert
A construction worker who was part of the local crew has died while building the stage ahead of an upcoming Shakira concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In a statement, posted on Instagram, organisers for the Todo Mundo No Rio event sadly confirmed, “The event organisers confirm that an accident this Sunday afternoon (April 26th) tragically claimed the life of a professional who was working on assembling the structures for the show.”
Organisers explained that medical staff initially attended to the worker on the event site, before “the professional passed away at the hospital”.
They also offered their “support, comfort, and solidarity to the responsible company, its team, and the victim’s family”.
The worker, who has not been named, was not part of Shakira’s team, who are due to arrive in Brazil in the next few days. He died at the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital after suffering crushing injuries to his legs in a lifting system, according to the Brazilian fire brigade.
Witness Antonio Marcos Ferreira dos Santos told AFP of the horrifying ordeal, “Out of nowhere, we saw people running, and when we looked, the structure was on the ground. People were saying that a man had gotten trapped underneath. People rushed over to pull him out.”
The upcoming concert at Copacabana Beach, which is free to attend for the general public, is expected to attract more than two million people. It is due to take place on May 2nd.
Following the date in Brazil, Shakira is set to embark on a North American arena tour throughout this summer.
The Latin star will then perform an 11-date residency in Madrid, Spain, at the custom-built Estadio Shakira, which has a capacity of 50,000.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.