With adornments of dust still rising over the disaster scene, rescuers with dogs look up for at least 16 people authorities said could be trapped in the debris in Rio.

Rio

Bulldozers in Rio scooped chunks of an objective to be carried away by dump trucks.  Witnesses told television news that the largest of the three fallen buildings, some 20 stories high, appeared to crash down first, taking two smaller buildings with it. All three structures were commercial, which decreased potential casualties since the collapse happened after business hours. At least six people were injured.

Officials in Rio

City officials of Rio say they don’t yet know what caused the collapse. Local speculation rapidly turned to possible structural weakness in the tallest building caused by ongoing construction work on at least two floors. Local construction controls Said no construction legal document were on file for the building, proposing that if work was under way, it was in violation of local building codes. Some TV news broadcasts suggested an explosion from a gas leak was a possibility.

On Thursday, grim wait was marked by stories of some people forced from the wreckage. Alexandro Fonseca, a 31-year-old construction worker, said he was bringing construction materials to the ninth floor of the tallest of the collapsed buildings, when he saw the roof swaying. Fearing the worst, he jumped back into the elevator, he said, and found himself inside a free-falling elevator. The elevator crashed. But he was alive. To Mr. Fonseca’s amazement, his cellphone still worked. He called a friend, who helped to direct rescue workers to his location in Rio.