One dead as twin explosions ignite outside Brazil’s Supreme Court

BRASILIA: At least one person was reported dead as two explosions detonated outside Brazil’s Supreme Court building early on Thursday.

The twin blasts led to the immediate evacuation of the court’s premises.

Read more: Iran, Russia move to conduct trade in national currencies despite US sanctions

Brazil’s Supreme Court confirmed that all judges were evacuated safely. Meanwhile, the country’s solicitor general described the incident as an “attack”, with reports indicating that the first blast originated from the trunk of a parked car.

The second explosion occurred on a street adjacent to the Annex 4 of the nearby Congress building, as per CNN.

Brazilian authorities discovered the body lying in the building’s square opposite the Supreme Court. The connection between the man and the second explosion remains unclear.

Read more: PM Shehbaz, Danish counterpart agree on enhanced bilateral cooperation on climate change

The Brazilian Supreme Court is located directly across from the presidential palace, where Brazilian President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva had left mere minutes before the blasts.

Brazil’s federal police launched an investigation into the twin explosions. The police stated that the tactical unit, rapid response team and bomb squad investigators had arrived at the scene to assess the situation.

Local media footage revealed that the two explosions occurred within 20 seconds of each other in Brasilia’s Three Powers Plaza, an area that houses Brazil’s key government buildings.

Read more: France-Israel match: 4,000 officers deployed as protests erupt

In response to the twin explosions, the presidential security bureau began inspecting the grounds around the presidential palace,  while law enforcers cordoned off the area surrounding the country’s supreme court, Congress and the presidency.