Number of missing people after fire in Sao Paulo may reach 45

The number of people, who went missing as a result of a fire that broke out in a 24-storey tower block in Brazil’s Sao Paulo, may reach 45, Sputnik reported citing media. The fire department has been clearing the rubble manually with 78 firefighters and 31 vehicles, since the use of machinery is only allowed after 48 hours. The Wilton Paes de Almeida Building was a 24-storey high rise built in the 1960s that housed the headquarters of the Federal Police in Sao Paulo for close to two decades, although during the last few years it was occupied by squatters, including at least 50 homeless families.
Firefighters say 44 people are missing after the collapse of the Edifício Wilton Paes de Almeida tower block in São Paulo, Brazil, yesterday. One missing man was within seconds of rescue when the building came down during a fire.