Work on the Olympic Park and Village in Rio de Janeiro has been halted over fears for the safety of workers, Reuters has reported.

With less than three months to go until the start of the games on 5 August, officials who reviewed work on a television tower in the Olympic park and digging work at the Olympic village have shut down operations at those and two other sites.

It has not been reported exactly what the problems entailed or how serious they were.

Robson Leite, the Ministry of Labour and Employment’s regional superintendent, said: “We have no intention of hampering the event. We just want the safety of the population, the workers and all those who will visit Rio.”

At least 11 people have been killed while working on the Olympic projects in Brazil. Eight people were killed in the preparations to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which was also held in Brazil.

The Olympic Park was declared open in April, but finishing touches are still being made to the tennis courts and sponsors’ areas.

The city’s oversight agency said it had immediately complied with the ministry’s order.

“Two areas where digging took place were cordoned off and a meeting will decide what adjustments are necessary so work can continue,” the Geo-Rio Foundation said in a statement.

Such injunctions are common in Brazil and are usually quickly resolved.

The shutdown came just weeks after a bicycle lane built as part of the legacy infrastructure collapsed into the sea, killing two cyclists.

Source: Safety & Health Practitioner (UK) www.shponline.co.uk