RIO DE JANEIRO ? A multistory building collapsed Wednesday evening after a possible natural gas explosion, and authorities said two bodies had been found in the wreckage.
Rubble was strewn across a wide area, covering cars and motorcycles. A neighboring building sustained some damage, and television showed at least two people on its roof apparently awaiting help from firefighters.
Witnesses said they heard an explosion just before the building collapsed, and a strong odor of gas hung over the scene.
It was not immediately clear how big the fallen building was, but it was at least five stories high. It sat near Rio's historic Teatro Municipal and the Fine Arts Museum, both of which appeared undamaged.
A Civil Defense spokeswoman confirmed that two bodies had been recovered, but said she did not have details on the number of injured. Some injured were seen being taken away, and O Globo newspaper cited an unidentified official as saying at least nine people were hurt.
The Civil Defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she believed the collapsed building was for commercial use and not residential. The explosion happened after 8 p.m. and there were hopes that would minimize the number of people who might have been in the area.
Police cordoned off the area and electricity to the street was cut off for safety reasons.
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