Fatal fire exposes poor conditions for young Brazilians

SAO PAULO — The deaths of 10 teenagers in a fire at Brazil’s Flamengo soccer club highlighted the precarious conditions many youngsters face as they chase the dream of becoming professional footballers. The boys, all aged between 14 and 16, were killed when a fire swept through the Flamengo training center on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro early on Friday morning. Three others were injured, one seriously. Although Brazilian clubs are famous for producing some of the world’s greatest players, they have been criticized for the lack of care and security they provide their young charges. Authorities have cited clubs in recent years for poor hygiene, inadequate nutrition and a lack of education and social care for youth players. The boys who died were youth players staying at a training center called the Ninho do Urubu or Vulture’s Nest after the club’s symbolic bird. The area destroyed by the blaze was not supposed to house players, the Rio de Janeiro mayor’s office said on Friday. The area where the lodgings were built was registered as a car park and the city served Flamengo about 30 notices warning them they did not have proper permission and ordered them to close the dormitory in October, 2017. “The mayor’s office is saddened that its notifications were not observed,” said Rio Mayor Marcelo Crivella. He did not say why the city did not close the facility after the notices were ignored. Flamengo CEO Reinaldo Belotti said the fire was caused by energy spikes that ignited an air conditioning unit. “When I was there it was much worse than it is now, we really suffered,” Romano Reginaldo Alves said. “This was an accident but it has been a long time coming.” —