A technician died on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro in an accident during the installation of the stage where the Colombian artist Shakira is to give a major free concert on May 2, authorities and organizers said.
For more than two weeks, teams have been working to set up a monumental scene on the sand of the famous Copacabana beach, where a huge crowd of visitors from Brazil and abroad is expected to converge on Saturday.
The man’s legs were crushed “in a lifting system” and was freed from the structure by other people present, according to firefighters.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance but did not survive.
“Unfortunately, the technician died in hospital,” Bonus Track, the company organizing the concert, said in a brief statement.
“We suddenly saw people running and when we looked, the structure was on the ground,” Antonio Marcos Ferreira dos Santos, 51, who was enjoying the beach, told AFP.
On April 13, police discovered and removed an “explosive device” on the Copacabana beach promenade, where the Colombian star was to perform.
According to several local media, it was a stun grenade, a non-lethal device designed to temporarily disorient people with a blinding flash and high-intensity detonation.
Concerts like Shakira’s generally attract crowds, especially since during the southern autumn period, from March to June, the town hall expects 3.5 million tourists to visit Rio.
According to the municipal agency Riotur, 2.1 million people attended the similar concert given by Lady Gaga last year and 1.6 million to Madonna’s in 2024.
