Investigation launched after fire damages roof of Olympic stadium

9 Apr 2026 • 4:09 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • A fire broke out at Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Park velodrome in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
  • About 80 firefighters and 20 vehicles were deployed to tackle the blaze, which was brought under control.
  • The fire was largely confined to the venue's fabric roof, with no injuries reported and the building's interior, including the Olympic Museum, remained untouched.
  • The cause of the incident is under investigation, though the facility has a history of similar roof fires, with two in 2017 attributed to falling paper sky lanterns.
  • Since hosting track cycling during the 2016 Summer Games, the velodrome has served as a primary training base for Brazil’s national cycling and weightlifting teams.

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