A major fire tore through the roof of the velodrome in Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park on Wednesday, sending flames across the venue built for the 2016 Olympics.
Officials said the blaze was brought under control after emergency crews responded to the scene. They also confirmed there was no risk of the fire spreading to other parts of the complex.
No injuries were reported.
The velodrome was constructed for the 2016 Olympic Games and is one of the key sporting facilities in the Olympic Park. The fire damaged the roof area, though the source report did not provide further details about the extent of the destruction.
Wednesday’s incident was a dramatic scene at a venue that formed part of Rio’s Olympic legacy. Officials’ immediate priority was to contain the fire and prevent it from moving beyond the velodrome itself, which they said had been achieved.
While the full cause of the blaze was not given in the source report, the fire drew attention to the condition and safety of major sporting infrastructure left in place after the Games. The incident at the velodrome comes nearly a decade after Rio hosted the Olympics, when the complex was opened as a centerpiece of the event.
Authorities have not reported any injuries, and the complex was said to be secure from further spread. The fire, however, left a visible mark on one of the city’s best-known Olympic venues.
