April 16- Officials responsible for the stadium hosting the opening game of the World Cup concede there is still considerable work to do before the arena is ready.
The Arena Corinthians stadium was supposed to have been finished last December but the already behind-schedule construction work has been further delayed by two separate accidents in which three construction workers were killed.
Former Corinthians president Andres Sanchez, who is overseeing the project, says there will probably be time for only one test event before Brazil’s World Cup opener against Croatia on June 12. “Don’t worry, nothing is going to fall on anyone’s heads,” Sanchez was quoted as saying.
The stadium, scheduled to host six games at the tournament including a semi-final, will cost almost one billion reals ($448.16 million) making it among the most expensive of the 12 World Cup grounds.
Makeshift stands behind both goals are still under construction while the VIP areas are also behind schedule according to agency reports. Access roads are also incomplete.