Tourists trapped in Rio favela during police shootout with drug gang

Tourists visiting Rio de Janeiro found themselves caught in a dangerous crossfire Tuesday when a police operation against drug traffickers erupted into a gun battle in the Morro Santa Marta favela. The incident trapped dozens of visitors who had gathered to watch the sunrise from the popular viewpoint.

Gunfire erupted before dawn as police, armed with arrest and search warrants, deployed into the favela. The operation targeted members of Comando Vermelho, identified as one of Brazil's principal criminal factions. Social media images showed terrified tourists crouching for cover amidst the intense and prolonged exchange of fire.

"It was a war situation," said Ari Kaye, a 43-year-old photographer, describing the scene to AFP. "People were panicking. There were about sixty people, and the shooting lasted about twenty minutes." Guided tours in the favela have been suspended indefinitely following the incident.

This is not the first time tourists have been caught in such violence. In April, approximately 200 tourists were trapped for nearly two hours in the Vidigal favela during a similar shootout. The Morro Santa Marta favela overlooks the affluent and tourist-frequented Botafogo neighborhood in southern Rio. A passenger on a bus passing through the area sustained an injury from a stray bullet, according to RioOnibus, an association representing transport companies.

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J'étais venu faire une visite, mais on m'a dit qu'il y avait beaucoup de policiers, et qu'ils avaient arrêté des délinquants. J'espère que ce lieu sera à nouveau sûr plus tard