Ninho do Urubu fire


The Ninho do Urubu fire was a fatal fire incident that occurred in the early morning hours of February 8, 2019, which killed ten people and left three injured at the training center of the Brazilian football team Flamengo. The event occurred at the Ninho do Urubu, also known as the George Helal Training Center, in the neighborhood of Vargem Grande, in the West Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Fire

On the morning of 8 February, a fire erupted at the Ninho do Urubu youth training ground of Flamengo. The initial cause of the fire was suspected to be a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit that caught fire in the room of one of the victims close to 5:00. The location of the fire was the temporary living quarters in a newly expanded section of the campus.

Victims

The fire resulted in the deaths of ten academy players between the ages of 14 and 17 training with the club. Three others were injured.
The victims of the fire were Athila Paixão, Arthur Vinícius de Barros Silva Freitas, Bernardo Pisetta, Christian Esmério, Jorge Eduardo Santos, Pablo Henrique da Silva Matos, Vitor Isaías, Samuel Thomas Rosa, Gerdson Santos, and Ryckelmo de Souza Viana.
Kauan Emanuel Nunes, Francisco Diogo Alves, and Jhonathan Cruz Ventura were hospitalized with injuries; Jhonathan's condition was the most severe.

Aftermath

Club president Rodolfo Landim described it as "the worst tragedy the club has ever experienced in its 123 years." The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro declared a three-day period of mourning following the tragedy. The Campeonato Carioca matches scheduled for the following days, including Flamengo's match against rival Fluminense, were postponed.
According to the Rio de Janeiro city government, the buildings that the fire occurred in did not have the required permits, and the location is on file as a parking lot.
The state Labor Ministry launched a task force to determine if any preventative actions could have been taken, and to ensure that the families of the victims would be accommodated.