A judge in Rio de Janeiro has ruled that facilities used for the Brazilian city’s staging of the 2016 Olympic Games should be closed on safety grounds.
The decision has been made after the Rio prosecutor’s office requested a ban on major events at the facilities until the necessary safety certificates have been presented.
The office of Rio’s Mayor has said that the ruling will be appealed.
“This situation, in sites damaged by the lack of surveillance and with thousands of people present, can lead to tragedies,” Judge Eugenio Rosa de Arauio wrote in a decision seen by the AFP news agency.
The judge added that the decision is necessary to “preserve the security of the population”.
The venues are regularly used for music concerts and exhibitions but the prosecution noted that the premises have fallen into disrepair following the dissolution of a federal entity set up to manage the infrastructure of the Games. Equipment and power cables have reportedly been stolen from the venues.
Image: Scazon
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