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At least 10 people have been injured in a piranha attack as they cooled off in a river.
09:38, Tue, Jan 27, 2026 Updated: 09:39, Tue, Jan 27, 2026
At least 10 people have been injured in a piranha attack as they cooled off in a river (Image: Getty)
At least 10 people have been injured after being attacked by piranhas as they cooled off in a river, which regularly attracts thousands of visitors. Horror photos showed victims with blood-covered bandages over wounds to their feet after the drama in the Paraguacu River in the municipality of Iacu in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia.
Local town hall chiefs announced after Sunday’s attacks (January 25) that the stretch of water where they occurred would be closed to swimmers and signs would go up warning about the dangers from piranhas. They have also announced a technical study will take place as piranha attacks in the area have been described as new. A kiosk selling cold drinks and snacks operating by the riverside said in a statement: “When the first incidents involving attacks on bathers started occurring we assisted them and directed them to the nearest health centre.
Most of those hurt in Sunday’s incident had wounds to their feet and ankles. (Image: X)
“We also informed all the customers who were under parasols we had hired or in the water about the dangers of remaining in the river.
“We closed up early due to what happened.
“We are happy to help out wherever we can and we are going to temporarily suspend the sunshade service we were providing until there’s further clarity on what is causing these attacks.”
An environmental specialist told a local TV station that it was common to find piranhas in the Paraguacu River, but attacks on humans were rare and could be linked to high temperatures that stress the fish out.
Most of those hurt in Sunday’s incident had wounds to their feet and ankles.
A seven-month-old baby was among several people injured in October last year after being bitten by piranhas at a resort along the Amazon River in Brazil (Image: Getty)
Up to 2,000 people a day flock to the spot where the attacks occurred at weekends and during holidays, according to local reports. A seven-month-old baby was among several people injured in October last year after being bitten by piranhas at a resort along the Amazon River in Brazil. The baby is said to have had part of one of her toes ripped off in the attacks at Miriti Beach in Manacapuru.
Meanwhile, a toddler died in a piranha attack in December after wandering away from her riverside home in Brazil and falling into the water. Two-year-old Clara Victoria was eaten alive by the carnivorous fish shortly after she fell into a river in the state of Amazonas.
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Her parents found her and pulled her out of the water, but unfortunately, she was already dead. Reports at the time said she had wandered away from her mum and dad and fallen through an unfenced hole in an area set aside for the future construction of a bathroom.
The Paraguacu River runs 310 miles from the Chapada Diamantina highlands of central Bahia to its mouth at the Baia de Todos os Santos. It is the largest river entirely within the state of Bahia.
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