Float crashes, injuring 20 people at Rio’s Carnival parade
RIO DE JANEIRO — A float crashed during Rio de Janeiro’s world famous Carnival parade Sunday evening and injured at least 20 people, including three people reported in serious condition, but organizers proceeded with the show.
The incident involved the last float of the first samba school parading through Rio’s Sambadrome. The float of samba school Paraiso de Tuiuti crashed into a fence that separates the stands from the pavement, injuring spectators, revelers and journalists. One reporter had an exposed fracture.
Police began an investigation as soon as the float finished its transit through the Sambadrome. Police investigator William Lourenco Bezerra said the three drivers of the float would be questioned Monday morning, adding that one already had been identified as the main focus of the probe.
“The last float went into reverse and ended up pressing revelers against the fence on one side. That caused chaos. Then the drivers made a quick manoeuvr to the opposite direction and injured more people,” Bezerra said. “The main driver of the float mixed with the rest of the samba school and left. But he has already been identified and will be investigated.”