Deadly World Cup city overpass collapse: 'I still can't believe what I saw'

Two people in Brazil are dead and 10 others are injured after an overpass collapsed in the World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte.

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(Twitter: Globo News)

An overpass has collapsed in the Brazilian World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte, killing at least two people and trapping a commuter bus, two construction trucks and one car, authorities say.

Video footage broadcast on Brazilian television shows a bus and other vehicles crushed by the overpass collapse.

Eyewitness Maria Nilza was just about to pass underneath the overpass when it collapsed. 

"The bus shook like a fabric and fell on a bus and car right in front of me," she told Brazil's G1 website.

Witness Rogerio Alves said it only took seconds for the overpass to crumble before his eyes.

“It was a scary business. I still don’t believe it," the Independent quoted him as saying.

"I was talking to my daughter when suddenly the viaduct fell at once.”

The incident took place on main avenue, the expansion of which was part of the World Cup infrastructure plan.

A woman who was driving a commuter bus trapped by the overpass died, said Federico Pascual of the Belo Horizonte fire department.

The overpass collapsed about five kilometres from the Mineirao soccer stadium, which has hosted several World Cup matches in recent weeks and will host the semifinal match next Tuesday.

Pascual said another 10 people were injured in the collapse, all construction workers.
The overpass "arched over a really busy thoroughfare," Pascual said.

He added that he feared there may be at least one more death, as "we still cannot get a look inside the car" that was trapped.

The cause of the collapse is not yet known. The overpass was under construction, part of a network of bus lanes slated for the World Cup that failed to be completed on time. 

Video purporting to document the incident has emerged on social media.

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