Woman falls down sidewalk manhole after ‘cable thieves’ tamper with cover

3 Jun 2026 • 6:59 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Woman falls down sidewalk manhole after ‘cable thieves’ tamper with cover

CCTV footage captures the moment that a woman in Brazil fell down a manhole just hours after two men allegedly tried to steal the cover.

Fabiana Rosa, a 33-year-old chef, can be seen walking whilst on her phone when she suddenly plummets into the ground when the cover gave way as soon as she stepped on it.

A motorcyclist who witnessed the fall immediately rushed to her aid, and emergency services were able to pull her to safety.

Ms Rosa suffered moderate injuries, according to local media. “I thought I was going to die,” she told a local outlet.

Hours before her fall, two men were captured on CCTV appearing to tamper with a manhole cover. The Rio de Janeiro city hall said the manhole had been opened after an attempted cable theft.

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