A former Brazilian footballer, Tassio Maia dos Santos, has died after a wall collapsed during strong winds in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The incident occurred on Wednesday in the Santa Teresa neighborhood.
According to local sources, a sudden and powerful windstorm caused a wall to collapse onto a car parked beside the sidewalk and several people nearby. Tassio Maia dos Santos, 41, and his friend, Vandre Cordeiro, were killed in the accident.
Videos circulating on social media show several pedestrians walking near the scene, including at least one child, when the wall gave way. As the structure collapsed, they quickly ran to safety. Moments later, a cloud of dust engulfed the area.
Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that, in addition to Tassio Maia and his friend, several other people were killed or injured in the incident.
A center forward, Tassio came through the youth academy of Sao Cristovao. He played professionally from 2002 to 2019, representing several clubs in Rio de Janeiro. However, he gained wider recognition after joining Botafogo in 2015.
Tassio made six appearances for Botafogo and scored one goal. His sudden death has cast a shadow of mourning over Brazil`s football community.
