Post date: Feb 28, 2011 7:28:26 PM
Sixteen Brazilian revelers are killed and dozens are injured after a power cable fell onto a sound truck during Carnival festivities.
BANDEIRA DO SUL, BRAZIL (FEBRUARY 27, 2011) TV GLOBO - At least 16 Brazilian Carnival revelers were killed and dozens more wounded on Sunday (February 27) when a power cable fell and electrocuted them as they danced behind a sound truck.
The high-voltage line fell during celebrations in the town of Bandeira do Sul in the southwestern state of Minas Gerais, the state's firefighting service said.Authorities did not give an estimate for the number of people wounded, but media reports said 50 people had been hurt.
Firemen Chief Edirlei Viana da Silva said the accident was caused when a reveler threw a roll of streamers containing metal onto the line, causing it to short-circuit and fall onto the sound truck.
"A metallic streamer that was thrown over the sound truck caused a short-circuit on the electric wires," he said.
The accident was caught on tape by one of the roughly 1,000 revelers who were partying on the streets.
Clever Roberto Vieira, who was working on the event, said the short-circuit caused explosions that looked like fireworks.
"I thought there were fireworks. When I took a close look and realized it weren't fireworks, I ran, like everybody else, and we asked people to stay away from the sound truck," he said.
Truck driver Jose Benedito dos Santos said the accident turned the festivities into chaos.
"It was like an avalanche, all those people next to the sound truck, falling onto the floor," he said.
A wake for victims was held on Monday (February 28) in one of the city's gyms.
"It was a very sad episode, I am much shaken. I lost a nephew and many friends," said an unidentified relative of one of the victims.
Such trucks, known as "Trio Eletricos" (Electric Trios) and equipped with high-power sound systems, are commonly used to lead Carnival parties through the streets in Brazil.
This year's Carnival celebrations, which officially get under way on Friday, had already been hit by tragedy. A large fire three weeks ago destroyed thousands of costumes and threw the preparations of some of Rio de Janeiro's top samba groups into chaos.