A Brazilian judge has fined authorities and a construction company 240 million reais ($48.3 million, £38.3 million) over the collapse of a construction site in the city of São Paulo.
In 2007, seven people were killed when a giant sinkhole suddenly opened and swallowed pedestrians and vehicles.
Workers were digging a tunnel to expand the subway in the Pinheiros district when the ground collapsed.
The judge said the collapse was the result of “careless” and “dangerous” conduct.
Those in charge of the construction project ignored experts’ warnings that “urgent” support structures were needed in the tunnel and proceeded to buy time, Judge Marcos de Lima Porta ruled.
This was reported by the Brazilian newspaper O Globo.
The former president of São Paulo Metro, an engineer and a construction inspector were among the six people and six companies ordered to pay compensation.
One of the workers died in 2018, but a judge ruled that his heirs must pay the fine.
A minibus was buried in a 2,200 square meter hole, seven houses were destroyed and around 200 people were evacuated.
Aerial photos of the site in downtown São Paulo showed how huge the crater was, with overlapping trucks.
Prosecutors in the case said the disaster had caused “very severe” trauma to residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s busiest city.
Those convicted will appeal.
Panoramic view of the huge crater of the collapsed Pinheiros subway station in São Paulo, Brazil, January 15, 2007