Summer Olympics

Rio's unsafe Olympic Park ordered closed by Brazilian judge

Published Jan. 16, 2020 9:40 a.m. ET

SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian judge has ordered the closing of Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Park in the next 48 hours due to a lack of safety licenses.

Judge Eugenio Rosa de Araújo said in his ruling published late Wednesday that Rio's city hall has not provided safety assurances for the Olympic Park to hold public events.

The Olympic Park of the 2016 Games has staged music festivals and e-sports tournaments, among other events.

According to the judge, who followed suggestions by local prosecutors in his decision, the area is “progressively battered by the lack of care" and “ready for tragedies."

Rio's city hall has not responded immediately to a request for comment by The Associated Press.

Get more from Summer Olympics Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Summer Olympics