The deadliest police operation against drugs in the history of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil has so far caused the deaths of at least 132 people, according to data released today by the ombudsman of the Brazilian state of the same name, which is twice the official number of victims known so far, reported Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
"According to our latest data, the number of victims is 132", the office of the ombudsman of the state of Rio de Janeiro, which offers legal aid to the most needy, told AFP.
Rio de Janeiro state Governor Claudio Castro said for his part that the official number of victims as a result of the yesterday's police operation remained at around 60, but warned that it would "change" as deaths are only counted when bodies arrive at the morgue.
The massive operation was focused on two of the poorest neighborhoods in the north of Brazil's second-largest city, close to the international airport.
Helicopters, dozens of armored vehicles and 12 machines used to remove barricades erected by drug traffickers to prevent officers from passing through the narrow streets of the city's ghettos were sent to support the police.