Brazil Carnival fire: Celebrations turn deadly
Brazil Carnival fire: The last day of Carnival celebrations in Brazil were darkened when a Carnival float hit a power line and caught fire, resulting in four fatalities.
The remains of a burnt float is pictured at the Sambodrome in Santos, about 55 miles (88 kms) southeast of Sao Paulo, February 12. The float caught fire early Tuesday after striking a power line.
Ivan Storti / Reuters
RIO DE JANEIRO
A Carnival float caught fire early Tuesday, in the Brazilian port city of Santos. The fire led to four deaths, striking a somber tone for the final day of exuberant Carnival celebrations throughout Brazil, police said.
The float, authorities said, caught fire after it struck a power line during maneuvers following its participation in ongoing Carnival festivities.
The accident, which follows a nightclub fire that killed 239 people in southern Brazil last month, comes at a time when public events and venues are under intense scrutiny because of what critics consider the lax enforcement of safety and fire codes in the country.
The criticism comes as Brazil, Latin America's biggest country, prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the World Cup of soccer in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.
