Twenty people trapped under ruins
Twenty people are trapped under the ruins of the three buildings that collapsed into a pile of rubble in downtown Rio de Janeiro earlier this week.
Rescuers pulled out at least six bodies, according to the city morgue, and many others remained missing Thursday as the smoke from small fires drifted above the wreckage, BBC reports.
Authorities are still investigating the cause, but officials speculated that illegal construction work damaged the structure of a 20-story building and caused it to crumble, wrenching down two other office buildings alongside.
Shortly after the collapse, there was a strong smell of natural gas in the area, but Mayor Paes said it apparently did not cause the problem.
"The collapse occurred because of structural damages," he said. "I don't think there was a gas leak."
