Sidewalk collapses, swallowing parked cars in Porto Alegre

Three vehicles were swallowed by a sinkhole that opened up on a sidewalk in the northern zone of Porto Alegre this Monday. There was no one in the cars at the time of the incident, and no one was injured.

Where the incident occurred in the capital

The incident occurred on Almirante Tamandaré Street, located in the Floresta neighborhood, at around 9:20 a.m. A Peugeot 3008, a Nivus, and an HB20 were parked at the site and ended up falling into the crater formed after the sidewalk collapsed. A tree also ended up leaning against the wall of a business operating in the area.

Work of public agencies at the scene

Employees of a nearby business heard a loud noise and noticed the cars inside the hole. The Civil Defense and the Fire Department were called to analyze the site, assess the risks of the hole expanding, and inspect the area, ruling out the possibility of a gas leak.

Actions in the underground gallery

The Municipal Department of Water and Sewage reported that it is working on the reconstruction of a macrodrainage gallery located on the street, installed at a depth of about 2.4 meters. The concrete structure is used to channel a section of a creek. After the removal of the cars and debris, teams will conduct an internal assessment to identify the extent of the damage, with no set deadline for the completion of the work.

Traffic closures and alternative routes

The Public Transport and Circulation Company completely blocked traffic at the intersection of Almirante Tamandaré and Santos Dumont streets. Drivers are advised to avoid the affected area and use alternative routes while the repair work is being carried out.

With information from G1, GZH.