Two Argentine tourists balleed at the attempt of robbery in Playa de Rio de Janeiro

Two Argentine tourists were shot in an alleged attempt to robbery at the beach of Barra Da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro, and transferred by helicopter to hospitals in the city, official sources reported.

The victims, two adult men of Argentine nationality, were attacked on Wednesday afternoon at the height of the 4th place of the aforementioned beach. According to witnesses cited by local media, both would be fans of Racing de Avellaneda, a team that will play the final of the South American Recopa against Botafogo at the Nilton Santos stadium.

One of the tourists was admitted to the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital and is undergoing surgery, while the other is stable at the Lourenço Jorge Municipal Hospital, as confirmed by the Municipal Secretariat of Health of Rio de Janeiro.

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro has initiated an investigation to clarify the authorship of the crime and determine the exact circumstances of the incident. So far no arrests have been reported.

This fact occurs in the middle of the Southern Summer Season, which has attracted a high flow of foreign tourists to Brazil, especially from Argentina. According to official data, Brazil received a record of 1.48 million foreign tourists in January, with 870,318 from Argentina.

Brazilian authorities have reinforced security in the tourist areas of Rio de Janeiro after this incident.