Cigarette sparks blaze at Olympic village
A suspected discarded cigarette in the "smoke-free" Rio Olympics village has sparked new tension between the Australian team and local officials after a fire forced athletes to evacuate the Australian quarters.
Fire alarms and sprinklers had been turned off by maintenance workers when the blaze broke out about 4.40am local time yesterday in rubbish beneath the Australian residence. As officials went doorto-door to alert about 100 athletes, smoke filled up the stairwell, Australian Olympic Committee spokesperson Mike Tancred said. The fire was quickly controlled and no one was hurt.
But Australian chef de mission Kitty Chiller has asked to urgently meet Rio organisers and the International Olympic Committee to discuss conditions in the village.
Chiller said she was unhappy that workers smoke in the village where work continues and piles of rubble and rubbish remain.
The incident comes just days after the Australians complained about issues with exposed wiring, leaking pipes and blocked toilets and found athletes alternative accommodation.
Chiller yesterday said she believed the fire started when a cigarette was tossed into a bin or pile of rubbish.
"There’s a lot of smokers – and this is my real issue – there’s a lot of workers and contractors smoking in the village. The athletes’ village is a non-smoking venue (but) there’s a lot of people walking around smoking."
But Chiller was otherwise "very happy" that initial problems had been addressed and work was progressing throughout the village.
The AOC issued a statement about Friday’s incident, confirming that an emergency response plan was activated and "approximately 100 athletes and officials were evacuated in an orderly and controlled fashion."