Sao Paulo metro boss steps down

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The boss of the underground network in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo has resigned after last month's station collapse which killed seven people.

The state governor's office said Luiz Carlos David had asked to step down and his request had been accepted.

Work has been suspended on a new metro line for the city after the accident at one of the construction sites in the district of Pinheiros.

A landslide caused a 30m (100ft) deep hole to open up, swallowing a minibus.

In his letter of resignation, Mr David described the metro system as "a symbol of the efficiency of public administration" which had "great challenges ahead of it".

"For personal reasons, I ask to be relieved of my post irrevocably," he said.

Mr David's resignation came after it emerged that studies carried out by the underground network itself had cast doubt on the quality of the concrete used in the construction works, Brazilian media reported.

Sao Paulo state governor Jose Serra has decided that for the time being, the state's transport secretary, Jose Luiz Portella, will take on Mr David's duties in addition to his own.