Brazilian officials say a man killed himself with a bomb outside Brazil's Supreme Court after trying to enter the building last night, raising security concerns ahead of the start of the G20 meeting in the country, reports Reuters, quoted by BTA.
This comes five days before the meeting of G20 heads of state in Rio de Janeiro, which will be followed by a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Brazilian capital.
The first of the two explosions went off last night in a parking lot near the courthouse, and the second came seconds later outside the courthouse where the man's body was found.
Federal District Deputy Governor Selina Leao said that according to preliminary information, the man killed himself with explosives after trying to enter the Supreme Court. She said he was the owner of a car nearby that had another explosion in its trunk.
Leao said she hoped it was a “lone wolf” crime, but could not be sure. Police said they have not yet definitively identified the dead man because there is a risk of additional explosives on his body.
The explosions took place on the "Square of the Three Powers" - an emblematic square in Brazil, connecting the main buildings of the three branches of the federal government of Brazil.
It was the scene of riots on January 8 last year, when supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the buildings to protest his election defeat.
Police sent a sapper squad with an explosives disposal robot to the square in the heart of the Brazilian capital to investigate the blasts.
The Supreme Court judges had just concluded plenary and were quickly evacuated to a safe location, the court said in a statement.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva left the executive palace last night, shortly before the explosions.