SAO PAULO — A worker died after falling at the construction site of the stadium that will host Brazil's World Cup opener in Sao Paulo, a hospital said Saturday.
Fabio Hamilton da Cruz, whose age was not immediately disclosed, fell about 26 feet while helping install temporary seats at the Itaquerao stadium, construction company Fast Engenharia said in a statement. Firefighters said the worker fell from about 50 feet.
The press office of the Hospital Santa Marcelina confirmed the death, saying the worker didn't survive serious head injuries. He was pronounced dead just before he was expected to undergo surgery.
The accident comes about four months after two workers died when a crane collapsed at the stadium while hoisting a 500-ton piece of roofing.
It was the eighth death at an upcoming World Cup venue so far. Three workers died in the Arena da Amazonia in the jungle city of Manaus, including a 55-year-old Portuguese man killed while disassembling a crane that was used to install the stadium's roof earlier this year. In 2012, a worker died at the construction site of the stadium in the nation's capital, Brasilia.
Construction was already behind schedule in Sao Paulo because of the damage caused by the earlier accident in late November.
FIFA said it was expecting the venue to be finished in mid-May, about a month before the June 12 opener, but it wasn't clear if Saturday's incident would prompt further delays.
About 20,000 temporary seats were being added to the new stadium to increase its capacity for the high-profile inaugural match between host Brazil and Croatia.
Construction at Brazil stadiums has been plagued by delays and three venues remain unfinished less than three months before the opener. Brazil promised all 12 stadiums would be ready by the end of last year but only six were completed by then.
— The Associated Press
