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Deadly wave of violence hits Rio | Deadly wave of violence hits Rio |
(20 minutes later) | |
At least 10 people are reported to have been killed in a string of gang attacks on buses and police stations in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. | |
In one incident, six passengers were burnt to death when gunmen attacked their bus and set fire to it. | In one incident, six passengers were burnt to death when gunmen attacked their bus and set fire to it. |
The wave of violence across the city started on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning. | The wave of violence across the city started on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning. |
Officials said gangs had launched the attacks in retaliation for a police crackdown on their activities. | |
'War' | |
At least four police stations in different parts of Rio were attacked with grenades and automatic fire. | |
Three buses were set on fire, and gunmen are reported to have stopped emergency workers from getting close to the scene. | |
As military police and gunmen exchanged fire on some of Rio's streets, motorists fled their cars to seek shelter. | |
Two police officers are reported to be among the dead, as well as at least one gang member. | |
One local media report said there was an atmosphere of war in the city. | |
Rio's shantytowns, or favelas, are frequently the scene of shoot-outs between officers and gang members, as are poorer neighbourhoods in other Brazilian cities. | |
In May, more than 120 people died in Sao Paulo after a wave of gang attacks. The attacks triggered a heavy police backlash, which has been blamed for many of the deaths. |