• World Cup

Worker dies after fall at Manaus stadium

A man has died after falling at the construction site of the 2014 World Cup stadium Arena Amazonia in Manaus.

Marcleudo de Melo Ferreira, 22, fell 35 metres after a cable broke and later died of his injuries in hospital.

Construction company Andrade Gutierrez said in a statement to Reuters: "We reiterate the commitment to the safety of all employees and that an internal investigation is being carried out into the causes of the accident.

"Legal measures are being taken in conjunction with the relevant bodies."

The Arena Amazonia will host England's opening Group D match against Italy on June 14, 2014.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter posted on Twitter:

Very sad to learn that a young construction worker died at Arena Amazonia in Manaus earlier today. My deepest sympathies go to his family.

— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) December 14, 2013

The BBC has also reported that a second person working on a site nearby to the Arena Amazonia has died of a heart attack.

Jose Antonio da Silva Nascimento, 49, was "overworked" according to his family.

"He worked from Sunday to Sunday," sister-in-law Priscila Soares told O Globo newspaper.

In November, two people died when a crane collapsed on part of the stadium that will host the 2014 World Cup opener in Brazil.

Also in Brazil this week, workers went on strike over late pay at one of the stadiums enduring the longest delays ahead of the World Cup.

The work stoppage happened in the southern city of Curitiba, where Spain are expected to be based during football's showcase event next year.

Curitiba mayor Gustavo Fruet said about one-third of the stadium's 1,200 workers took part in the strike that lasted up to three days this week. He said protesting workers blocked a city avenue for about an hour on Friday.

"There was a delay of the payment and there was a strike," he said.

The deadline for Curitiba's stadium has already been pushed back to mid-February because of construction delays that officials said resulted from belated financing. The stadium belongs to Brazilian first division club Atletico Paranaense and is undergoing extensive renovation to host matches in next year's World Cup.

A group of workers taking a break in the stadium said they were owed one month's pay. They said they would down tools again next week if the money promised to them doesn't come.

The Arena da Baixada will host four World Cup matches, including Australia vs. Spain on June 23.

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