Shopping Tijuca Remains Closed as Firefighters Ventilate Sublevel After Deadly Blaze

Overview

• The fire began Friday evening in the Bellart decoration store on the mall’s sublevel, producing heavy smoke and triggering a full evacuation.
• Firefighters described difficult access and high heat in the sublevel and deployed mechanical ventilation, rooftop entry and wall openings to disperse smoke and map the area, with about 65–75 personnel and more than 20 vehicles engaged.
• Police identified the two employees who died as supervisor Anderson Aguiar do Prado and brigadista Emellyn Silva Aguiar Menezes, and at least three other people were injured and treated at local facilities.
• Witnesses reported absent or faint alarms and delayed instructions to leave, while the mall said alarms were activated and protocols were followed, estimating more than 7,000 people were inside at the time.
• The 19th Police Precinct requested forensic examination at the site, the cause remains undetermined, and firefighters continue mopping‑up and sublevel mapping operations as the complex stays shut.