Al Jazeera
An explosion at the João Havelange Stadium during athletics competitions in the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics has killed thirteen people, including five athletes, grinding multiple Olympic events to a halt and immediately overshadowing the Olympic competitions throughout the city.
The explosion killed five athletes lining up to run in a qualifying heat of the 100 metre run.
Four of the athletes represented the Russian Federation, and included athletes Ruslan Kovalevsky, Danil Anokhin, Nikita Pankov, and Anton Tsaplin.
One German athlete, Jakob Weber, was also killed, as well as three protesters associated with the ODP movement and five spectators.
Some reports stated that the ODP protesters had spotted the bomb and attempted to enter the truck where it was held before it was detonated.
Security forces took steps to lock down multiple locations around Rio de Janeiro, including Maracana stadium, where the leaders of Germany, China, Venezuela, and Russia are currently watching the games.
At the Olympic Village, another vehicle was stopped and its occupant arrested after explosives were found in the back of the truck.
Nations involved in the Olympics quickly expressed their condolences for the attack.
In a press release, the Brazilian government said “This is a true act of terror, and we assure every participant, spectator, and viewer that those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice.”
Investigators have not released the name of the arrested person or say if there are any suspects still at large.
All Athletics events and other sports events in João Havelange Stadium have been suspended indefinitely.
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