MANAUS: A third construction worker in three weeks died in Brazil early on Saturday after falling off the roof of the Manaus World Cup stadium in the Amazin basin.

Marcleudo de Melo Ferreira, 22, died in a hospital in Manaus around 4am, according to the local forensic centre. He fell nearly 35m after a cable broke.

FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke, messaged that he was “very sad about the tragic death of a young worker at the Arena Amazonia . . . My thoughts are with his family and colleagues.”

The previous fatal accident was in Sao Paulo, which will host the Opening Match, where two people died on November 27 after a crane collapsed.

Preparations for Brazil 2014 have also been plagued by delays, accidents, cost overruns, and public anger over government waste that contributed to nationwide street protests in 2012.

Andrade Gutierrez, the Brazilian firm building the Amazon stadium, said in a statement that Ferreira worked for a company that had been contracted to build the arena’s cover and an internal investigation of the incident would be conducted.

Manaus will host four games, including the England v Italy clash and other clashes involving the United States and Portugal.

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