Horror moment terrified workers smash into high-rise 70ft up as gondola swings wildly in 62mph winds

THIS is the terrifying moment three workers are left dangling 70ft above the ground as powerful winds send their suspended scaffolding hurtling into a high-rise. The helpless men were battered by savage gusts topping 62mph as their precarious platform repeatedly smashes against the towering structure in Rio de Janeiro. Three workers were trapped on a suspended scaffolding during strong winds, in Rio de Janeiro Credit: Newsflash The precarious platform repeatedly smashed against the towering structure Credit: Newsflash The heart-stopping ordeal unfolded at the Barra Bali condominium in the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, in the West Zone of Rio, on July 29. Dramatic footage filmed by a resident shows the scaffolding buckling violently between the seventh and eighth floors of the Apple Bali tower. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The platform is repeatedly flung towards the building by ferocious winds, crashing into the razor-edge of the facade as the workers cling on. At one point, chunks of debris come cascading down as the platform spin dangerously in the brutal conditions. But the trapped workers seize a desperate lifeline when the platform swings close enough to a seventh-floor apartment balcony. They manage to grab the concrete railing and haul themselves towards safety before anchoring the structure and clambering over the balcony ledge. The three men then scramble inside the apartment, where they shelter for around an hour as the relentless winds finally begin to ease. They later leave the building safely using the internal elevator. Most read in The Sun The dramatic rescue comes as a vicious storm batters Rio after a cold front sweeps into the city, unleashing gusts of more than 100kph. The ferocious weather has wreaked havoc across the capital and metropolitan region. A vehicle stands amid rubble after a wall collapsed during strong winds in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Credit: Reuters A fallen tree blocks a street after strong winds swept through Rio Credit: Reuters There have been power cuts, train and metro disruptions, a closure of the Santos Dumont Airport and fallen trees reported across several areas. Two people were killed in in Santa Teresa after being struck by a wall that collapsed during the storm, according to fighfighters. Rio’s City Hall places the city under a Stage 2 alert and urges residents to avoid unnecessary travel as the treacherous conditions continue. By the end of the afternoon, the punishing winds begin to subside, although rain remains forecast for the evening. It comes after another terrifying incident when a window cleaner was tragically killed after being violently hurled against a high-rise apartment building. Two window cleaners had been working on the gondola when powerful winds smashed it against the building on Monday. Heavy rains and strong winds descended on Surabaya – a city on the eastern side of Java in Indonesia – while the window cleaners were hard at work. Shocking footage shows the moment the gondola was swinging violently against the building as strong winds whirled around the tower. Heavy rains and strong winds descended on Surabaya – a city on the eastern side of Java in Indonesia – while the window cleaners were hard at work. Shocking footage shows the moment the gondola was swinging violently against the building as strong winds whirled around the tower. Comment now