3 Buildings Collapse in Downtown Rio

Firemen and rescuers work searching possible victims in the place where two buildings collapsed in the center of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 25 January 2012. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Three buildings, one of them 20 stories high, collapsed in Rio de Janeiro's center Wednesday evening, with the number of potential victims remaining unclear.

"Three buildings collapsed: a 20-story building, a 10-story building and a smaller building of three or four floors," Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters late Wednesday, updating on earlier information.

"Giving a total number of victims would be pure speculation," he added, as cited by The Times of India. According to the Mayor, "structural problems" have been the most likely cause.

According to TV network Globo News, there were "11 casualties - dead and injured" in the incident.

A "mountain of rubble" has been reported on the street, with thick dust covering the cars nearby

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