Building collapse in Rio after blast, two hurt

A nearly 20-story building in the center of Rio de Janeiro partially collapsed Wednesday after a violent explosion, injuring at least two people, firefighters told AFP.

A fire department official at the scene, near the municipal theater on the city's Cinelandia square, said that at least two people had been hurt in the incident.

Another rescue worker said that construction workers who had been inside the building at the time of the incident were trapped.

Dozens of firefighters and emergency personnel were at the scene.

The partial cave-in occurred after an explosion that sparked panic in the area.

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