Security scares as shot fired and suspect package found

AN EXPLOSION near the finish line of the cycling road race and a bullet that tore a hole in the roof of a press tent were just two of the alarming incidents that increased tension over security at Rio 2016 yesterday.

An hour before the end of the men’s road race, security forces moved in to carry out a controlled explosion on a suspect package found 100m from the finish line.

A loud explosion rocked the finishing straight on Copacabana beach, but the race was allowed to continue and the course was not diverted, as the package is understood to have been harmless.

Meanwhile, members of the media at the equestrian events were given a shock when a bullet tore through the roof of the press tent and narrowly missed a New Zealand official.

The equestrian centre is next door to a military establishment and one theory is that a gun had been accidentally discharged into the air nearby.

According to Horse and Hound magazine, which had three members of staff in the tent at the time, the bullet was a 5.56mm assault rifle round, and landed on the carpet next to where journalists were working. No one was hurt, but the bullet narrowly missed Team New Zealand press attaché Diana Dobson.

Brazilian security forces who were called in to investigate said the bullet appeared to have been fired accidentally from somewhere nearby.

Nevertheless, it was a reminder of the preponderance of guns in Rio, where shootings are a daily occurrence. More than 100,000 police and soldiers have been deployed on the streets, with heavily armoured military vehicles a common sight.

Another security alert happened during Friday night’s opening ceremony, when three unauthorised drones were spotted flying over the Maracanã stadium.

The drones, thought to be operated by enthusiasts who wanted to take video footage from the air, were able to hover over the stadium where 60,000 spectators and 27 heads of state had gathered.