Another worker hurt during World Cup stadium construction

Another construction worker has been injured at the World Cup stadium site in Manaus, Brazil, further delaying completion of the 42,000-seat stadium, government officials in the Amazon city said Friday.

According to the Associated Press, the worker was hurt while dismantling a crane that was used to construct the roof at Arena Amazonia, where the U.S. is scheduled to play Portugal in its second group-play match in June.

Local media reports said the injured man was a 55 years old and from Portugal. His condition was not immediately released.

Construction of the 12 World Cup venues in Brazil has been plagued by delays and corruption, and critics charge that safety measures have been sacrificed in an effort to rush completion of the venues.

In December, two workers died at the same construction site, one after falling 115 feet from the stadium’s roof and the second of a heart attack. Another worker died there last March after falling from a scaffold, and at least three workers have died at stadium sites in Brasilia an Sao Paulo.

Friday’s accident postponed a scheduled visit to the stadium site by Amazonas state governor Omar Aziz, who had been expected to announce the date of the venue’s opening. The arena is one of five World Cup stadiums still incomplete less than five months before the World Cup is set to kick off.

U.S. Coach Juergen Klinsmann visited the Manaus site last month and had lunch with the city’s mayor. He said he came away impressed with the city and the stadium.

“It’s an experience. And therefore I want the players to take it all in,” he said then. “This is something unique. The people there are extremely excited. They are so excited to host World Cup games.

“It’s a different face of Brazil. And that’s what a World Cup is about; to see the different faces of a country. And Manaus is one of those different faces.”

“I’m really looking forward to it now.”

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