Ten dead after car enters lake in Barra Mansa

Ten people died after a car entered a lake in rural Barra Mansa, in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, on Saturday night, November 7. Rio de Janeiro state authorities said the victims included five children and five adults. Early reports gave differing counts of children, and the authorities’ figures were not independently confirmed in the reports reviewed.

A passerby saw the vehicle submerged and raised the alarm, according to accounts of the rescue. Firefighters and divers recovered all ten occupants from the car; state authorities said they were already dead when removed. The state government said about 30 firefighters responded, while another account said rescue teams included two divers.

Police are investigating how the car entered the lake. Authorities have not announced a cause, and the available accounts do not establish who was driving or what happened immediately before the vehicle entered the water.

The child count differs across early reports. Rio de Janeiro state authorities reported five children and five adults. Other accounts reported four children, while an initial local report described six children, including a baby. The state government’s public count did not give...