12 People Killed After Nursing Home Collapses Trapping Residents Under Rubble

At least 12 people are dead after a four-story building housing a nursing home suddenly collapsed in Brazil, trapping elderly residents under piles of debris in the middle of the night.

The tragedy happened around 1:30 a.m. on March 5 at the Casa de Repouso Pró-Vida nursing home in Belo Horizonte. According to local reports, the building crumbled without warning while dozens of people were inside.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene as firefighters worked through the wreckage searching for survivors.

Officials say 29 people were inside the building when it collapsed. Among the victims were several elderly residents, including a 99-year-old woman, a 96-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man.

Rescue crews spent hours digging through the debris. The final victim, a 77-year-old woman, was pulled from the rubble the following morning.

Fire Department Lieutenant Elias Cristóvão described the devastating scene. He explained that the woman’s room had partially collapsed when the floor above gave way.

“The slab broke and she fell to the floor below where she should have been,” Cristóvão said. “We had to access the basement and search through the rubble. Unfortunately, she did not survive her injuries.”

Despite the destruction, several people were able to make it out alive. Authorities say eight survivors were rescued from the wreckage, while nine others managed to escape the building on their own before emergency crews arrived.

The building reportedly also contained a gym and a tanning salon in addition to the nursing home.

Officials say it remains unclear what caused the sudden collapse. Investigators noted that there had been no rain or severe weather in the area at the time of the incident.

“This is not a high-risk area,” said Elcione Menezes Alves, the undersecretary of civil protection and defense for Belo Horizonte. “Historically, there are no records of incidents occurring here.”

Authorities are now investigating whether nearby construction activity could have played a role in weakening the structure.

“Our priority is to support the victims’ families and continue the search and rescue efforts,” civil police detective Felipe Ribeiro said. “At the same time, we have begun a criminal investigation into what happened.”

Search crews and investigators remain at the site as officials work to determine exactly what caused the deadly collapse.