A worker was killed after a crane collapsed while installing a Christmas tree in Brazil.

Footage shows the heavy machinery lifting a section of the 100ft decoration when it toppled under the weight of the base in Manaus City, Brazil, on November 23.

The crane operator, Antonio Benjamin, dressed as Santa Claus, leapt to safety as the equipment tipped. He was later arrested.

Reports said the collapse destroyed parts of the tree and sent debris flying before the Amazonas Military Fire Department arrived to carry out rescue operations.

Two employees, identified as Antonio Paulo Rodrigues de Souza and Henes Liborio Ramos, were injured in the incident. Antonio Paulo later died in the hospital while receiving treatment, while Henes suffered a fractured leg.

In 2022, Antonio Paulo also worked on the Christmas decorations at the same location. At the time, he recorded a video clip from the top of a crane while secured only by a rope and without a helmet, assisting in the assembly of the structure.

A forensic report stated that Antonio Paulo died from cerebral oedema, cranial haemorrhage, and head trauma caused by the fall triggered by the crane tipping over.

Both men had been employed by a company contracted by the Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy to assemble the Christmas decorations at Largo Sao Sebastiao, in front of the Amazonas Theatre.

Witnesses reported that Antonio Paulo had been on the crane boom helping to guide and position the tree structure, while Henes had been on the ground holding a rope to stabilise it.

This was the second serious incident involving Christmas decorations at Largo Sao Sebastiao. In 2024, the tree, which stood over 75ft, caught fire. Firefighters extinguished the flames, and no one was injured.

The Government of Amazonas said it is providing assistance to the victims and their families. Governor Wilson Lima expressed condolences and ordered an investigation into the accident.