Bus Full of Chinese Reporters Get Caught in Roadside Firefight at Rio Olympics

The incident, which left six locals dead, reportedly had no Chinese casualties, according to Shanghaiist. An earlier report from Chinese-language Basketball Magazine mistakenly posted on Weibo that it was the Chinese national basketball team had been caught in the firefight.

The magazine later clarified the report with the corrected information. It was revealed that the Chinese Olympic delegation comprising of players and reporters took separate buses going to the Olympic Village. While the bus of the basketball players reached the destination without a hitch, the reporters’ bus got trapped for a short period about 2 km away from the airport, before being able to escape the violent situation unharmed.

Earlier this summer, incidents of shootouts have resulted in closure of streets in major city streets. ISIS has also called for attacks during the games.

Brazil’s government has been working closely with U.S. security forces to help bolster its preparations. According to CNN, Rio de Janeiro has deployed around 14,000 of the 85,000 security officers that have been deployed to the city.

Another untoward incident happened earlier this week to a Chinese Olympic participant, this time to hurdler Shi Dongpeng, who got vomited on by one Brazilian man upon arrival at his hotel. The gross encounter turned out to be a scam to rob him of his luggage.