SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — Two fans were shot to death on their way to a test event on Sunday at a World Cup stadium in north-eastern Brazil, just two months before the venue hosts matches in the Confederations Cup.

The fans were killed about five kilometres (three miles) from the Arena Castelao in the city of Fortaleza, one of the six venues hosting matches in the Confederations Cup in June and one of the 12 getting ready for next year’s World Cup.

“We lament what happened,” said Tiago Paes, a local World Cup organising committee member who was at the test event in Fortaleza. “But there is work being done by the police and the army in many areas of security, so we are not concerned with that for the Confederations Cup.”

The official in charge of Ceara state’s World Cup preparations said that the deaths were not connected to the test event at the Arena Castelao.

“I’m extremely sad,” said Ferruccio Feitosa. “But the fans were killed away from the stadium.”

The deaths came before a match between local rivals Ceara and Fortaleza, which was used by local organisers to evaluate the venue.

Police said the victims, wearing Ceara jerseys, were shot in the head after being confronted by Fortaleza supporters at a plaza. Witnesses told authorities the men had just left a van and were getting ready to walk from the plaza to the stadium when two rival fans on a motorcycle opened fire at them.

It wasn’t clear whether there was a confrontation before the shots were fired.

Meanwhile, authorities say part of the stands at the new Palmeiras arena in Sao Paulo has collapsed, killing one worker and injuring another.

Firefighters say the man died when a large concrete column fell on him. The other worker sustained minor injuries.

At least three columns collapsed, and police were investigating the causes of the accident near lunchtime yesterday.

Other workers were in the area but were able to flee.

The Arena Palestra is set to be concluded by the end of the year. It will not host World Cup matches in 2014 but could be used for training.

Sao Paulo is not a host city for June’s Confederations Cup.