Ten Killed, Including Five Children, After Car Plunges into Lake in Brazil

Ten people died after a car plunged into a lake in a rural area of Barra Mansa, a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday after a passerby noticed the submerged vehicle and raised the alarm.

“The victims were already dead when they were removed from the vehicle,” the government of Rio de Janeiro state said in a statement quoted by AFP.

Rio authorities expressed their condolences on social media, confirming that the victims included five adults and five children.

Some Brazilian media reported that a baby girl was among the victims. The identities of the deceased have not been confirmed.

Emergency teams were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters recovered the submerged victims with the help of two divers.

Local authorities classified the incident as an accident, and police are investigating the circumstances.

According to Brazilian outlet G1, which cited a relative, all the victims belonged to the same family.

Heavy rain struck the Rio de Janeiro region on Saturday, causing flooding on several streets, including in tourist areas such as Copacabana.