Accident Involving Samba Float at Rio Carnival Injures Several
A float from the União de Marica Samba school ran over a group of people during a parade in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, resulting in injuries to at least three individuals, with one in critical condition.
This year’s renowned Carnival festival is set to take place over the weekend. The first set of parades for the Série Ouro (‘Gold Series’) occurred on Saturday and Sunday, showcasing the simpler samba schools. The winner of this parade contest earns a chance to compete in next year’s more prestigious Special Group.
The Carnival festivities in Rio will continue until Saturday, February 21st.
On Sunday, União de Marica participated in the second day of the Gold Series parade. As the last float turned towards the end, it veered off, crashing into a fence and injuring three people, including one seriously. Reports indicated that the samba school struggled with organization and had to rush to meet a tight performance time limit of 55 minutes.
Eyewitness accounts noted that the float struck three individuals standing near the main street curb as it lost control.
Rio’s Health Secretary, Daniel Solanz, identified the critically injured man as Itamar de Oliveira, a 65-year-old samba school member who suffered severe fractures in both legs. He underwent emergency surgery late Sunday night, where an external fixator was placed on one of the affected legs. The other two injured individuals had minor injuries and were transported to a medical clinic.
“It was serious, but we believe we can save his leg. He was critical upon arrival but has stabilized,” Solanz told reporters. Medical teams at Hospital Souza Aguiar are handling his case.
An eyewitness claimed that the float had caught fire before the incident. It seems that the school’s second float also experienced a fire in a designated area for post-performance movements, leading to some dramatic footage of performers exiting the float while staff worked to extinguish the flames.
As of Monday morning, local authorities had not reported any injuries resulting from that fire, though smoke was visible from various areas of the Sambadrome. Investigations are underway, with local police conducting forensic tests at the scene to ascertain the details of the incident.
In response to the accident, the União de Marica Samba school released a statement expressing support for de Oliveira and his family. Mayor Washington Cuacqua assured that assistance would be provided to the injured.
“Our Marika Union delivered a fantastic performance at Sapukai. It was a beautiful show highlighting the strength of black women. We express our solidarity with those injured and will provide all possible support,” the mayor stated.
The accident has implications for the samba school, as exceeding the allowed parade time could result in penalties during Wednesday’s competition.
