A massive fire in Rio de Janeiro has destroyed over eight thousand costumes and floats for Brazil's popular Carnaval, scheduled to take place next month. The fire, which began at around 7 am on Monday, affected three samba dance schools which were scheduled to take part at the Sambódromo stadium on March 6 and 7.

The grand festival which kicks off on 5 March, 2011 is one of the most important festivals held annually in the region. The parade is considered a sacred ritual by many generating thousands of jobs every year in the region.

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Massive fire destroys Carnaval costumes in Rio De Janeiro.
A massive fire in Rio de Janeiro has destroyed over eight thousand costumes and floats for Brazil’s popular Carnaval, scheduled to take place next month. The grand festival which kicks off on 5 March, 2011 is one of the most important festivals held annually in the region. The parade is considered as a sacred ritual by many generating thousands of jobs every year in the region. Reuters.
Massive fire destroys Carnaval costumes in Rio De Janeiro.
Of the 12 samba schools participating in this year’s annual parade, three were affected including Portela, União da Ilha do Governador and Acadêmicos do Grande Rio. Each of these schools invests millions of dollars every year. These three schools were scheduled to take part at the Sambódromo stadium on March 6 and 7. Reuters.
Massive fire destroys Carnaval costume in Rio De Janeiro.
The New York Times reported that the fire “began at around 7 a.m. and was contained after four hours. A thick plume of smoke that resembled a mushroom cloud reached high into the sky and was visible a few miles away. Many workers from the samba schools were sleeping inside the warehouses and were awoken by the smoke.” Reuters.
Massive fire destroys Carnaval costume in Rio De Janeiro.
Mayor Eduardo Paes however stated that the carnival will go on although it is not easy to make up for the damage so soon especially for the three samba schools who were putting the final touches on the clothes. Al Zazeera quoted him saying that “it is going to be difficult to restore the work of a whole year in 30 days…but a lot of people are involved. Carnival will go on.” Reuters.
Massive fire destroys Carnaval costumes in Rio De Janeiro.
Although there have been no reports of deaths or injuries, officials are investigating the cause of the fire. It took around 120 firefighters to control the flames after about three hours. Reuters.