Toddler and man die as building collapses in Rio de Janeiro

Irregular construction of small homes built atop one another, common in the favelas, blamed for deadly collapse.

A four-storey building collapsed in western Rio de Janeiro before dawn Thursday, killing at least one infant and one adult and damaging nearby residences, the city’s fire department said. Four people were rescued from the debris. The irregular construction consisted of four small homes built atop one another. A spokesperson for the fire department said. City officials confirmed to The Associated Press in an email that the structure had no licence. Irregular constructions have long plagued Brazil. Latin America’s largest nation is suffering through one of the world’s worst outbreaks of coronavirus.