Overpass collapse in Brazil claims two lives

At least two people have been killed in the collapse of an overpass on moving vehicles in southeastern Brazil.

The deadly incident took place in the FIFA World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte on Thursday.

The bridge had been under construction prior to falling on a busy highway in the city.

One of the victims of the incident was a woman, who was driving a commuter bus trapped by the overpass.

Two construction trucks and one car were also trapped by the structure.

There was no immediate information on the cause of the collapse.

According to reports, nearly 20 people were also injured in the incident, including construction staff working on the expansion of the World Cup infrastructure project.

Belo Horizonte is scheduled to host one of the World Cup semi-final matches next week.

Brazil has seen almost daily protests and strikes over the USD 11-billion expense of the sports event. Critics say the money should have been invested in health, education, transportation, and housing sectors. They also accuse the Brazilian government of corruption in deals related to the infrastructure of the games.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, however, has emphasized that investments in stadiums, airports and other infrastructure would provide the country with long-term benefits.