Gangs in Rio de Janeiro hijack buses to spread chaos amid clashes with police
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Rio de Janeiro: When police killed a drug kingpin in a favela in Rio de Janeiro last month, armed men surrounded a bus, forced passengers to get off and set it on fire in the middle of a busy road.
Driver Marcio Souza, 48, said the attack unfolded within moments, leaving him shaken. He described it as a terrifying experience he would not wish on anyone.
Such incidents are not rare in the city of nearly seven million people, where clashes between police and heavily armed criminal groups are frequent.
Gangs often hijack buses in retaliation, using them as barricades to block roads and disrupt police movement, bringing traffic to a standstill. The impact falls heavily on residents of poorer areas who already face long daily commutes.
In one of the deadliest police operations last October, which left over 120 people dead, more than 100 buses were hijacked across the city.
Another driver, who gave his name as Joao, said attackers on motorcycles recently stopped him, took his keys and poured fuel on his bus before police intervened.
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