Two die as Rio de Janeiro cycleway collapses into the Atlantic (+ video)

Two people are reported to have died and three others have been injured after a 50 metre section of a coastal cycleway in Rio de Janeiro that opened just three months ago collapsed this morning.

According to one eyewitness, a series of large waves struck the Ciclovia Tim Maia, which sits on concrete piers above the Atlantic Ocean, causing it “to fall apart like paper” and collapse into the waters below.

The bodies of the two people who were killed were recovered from the ocean by the emergency services, reports UOL, as were the three people who were hurt. The extent of their injuries is not yet known.

http://noticias.uol.com.br/cotidiano/ultimas-noticias/2016/04/21/ciclovia-inaugurada-em-janeiro-em-sao-conrado-desaba-no-rio.htm

Video posted to Facebook shows the aftermath of the collapse of the cycleway, which runs for 3.9 kilometres along the coast in the south of the city, which is gearing up to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.

The cycle path runs alongside Avenida Niemeyer, and passengers in a bus on that road were reportedly soaked by the same waves which caused the collapse.

One local, Ademir Guedes, said he was riding his bike nearby on the same path when he was told of the collapse by another cyclist.

“He warned me, but I thought he was joking,” he told O Globo. “I never imagined the collapse of a newly built bike path.

“I went slowly to the edge of the cliff. Then the drivers started shouting me warning of the risk.”

http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/desabamento-de-ciclovia-recem-inaugurada-deixa-ao-menos-dois-mortos-19139109#ixzz46Tjj97Im

Bombeiros confirmam duas mortes no desabamento de ciclovia na Zona Sul do Rio. #GloboNews pic.twitter.com/65estiwQgl

— GloboNews (@GloboNews) April 21, 2016

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="pt" dir="ltr">Bombeiros confirmam duas mortes no desabamento de ciclovia na Zona Sul do Rio. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GloboNews?src=hash">#GloboNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/65estiwQgl">pic.twitter.com/65estiwQgl</a></p>&mdash; GloboNews (@GloboNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/GloboNews/status/723189055588945921">April 21, 2016</a></blockquote>

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UOL says that ahead of the cycleway opening in January, concerns were expressed regarding rust that appeared on the steel ties holding it in place.

However, the municipal works department said at the time that “the material used in the guardrails of the bike path is made of special steel, suitable for environments with high levels of salt in the air."

It acknowledged that while there had been some damage, that was being repaired and that the parts affected did “not compromise the integrity of the route,” adding that routine maintenance would take be carried out periodically on the cycleway.