A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has told the BBC of how residents came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.
The bodies kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45..., Bruno Itan told BBC Brasil. They included those of police officers.
One of the bodies had been decapitated - others were totally disfigured, he said. Many also had what he says were stab wounds.
More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.
Bruno Itan told BBC Brasil that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him there was a shoot-out.
The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving. Itan says that the police stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighbourhood, where the operation was under way.
Despite the barriers, Itan, who grew up in the area, managed to enter the confined region, remaining throughout the night as local residents searched for their missing relatives.
In a poignant display, recovered bodies were laid out in a square, revealing the deep sorrow and shock among the community as families faced the brutality of the events.
The governor of Rio state stated that around 2,500 security personnel were involved in the operation targeting the criminal group Comando Vermelho. Initial reports suggested that between 60 to 132 people, including presumed gang members and police officers, were killed, drawing sharp criticism from human rights organizations.
The governor defended the police's actions, claiming they were responding to a threat from armed gang members during the raids.
This incident underscores the ongoing struggles between law enforcement and organized crime in Brazil, with critics calling for more accountability in the use of lethal force by police.
