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200 tourists were trapped at a popular sunrise viewpoint.
11:34, Tue, Apr 21, 2026 Updated: 11:36, Tue, Apr 21, 2026
Tourists watching the sunrise from the Morro Dois Irmaos as a police operation begins (Image: Na Favela Turismo/AFP via Getty Images)
A gun battle erupted in Rio de Janeiro’s Vidigal favela as police clashed with suspected Comando Vermelho members, leaving around 200 tourists trapped at a popular sunrise viewpoint. The fighting broke out along the access routes to Morro Dois Irmãos, turning a routine early-morning hike into a lockdown above the city.
Visitors were forced to sit on the ground as gunfire echoed through the hills and a helicopter circled overhead. The hiking trail, a well-known sunrise viewpoint overlooking the world-famous Ipanema Beach, starts just east of the neighbourhood.
About 200 tourists were left temporarily stranded (Image: Na Favela Turismo/AFP via Getty Images)
Authorities from the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bahia and Rio’s Civil Police were attempting to detain suspected members of the Comando Vermelho gang believed to be sheltering in Vidigal, according to TV Globo.
As officers moved in, they and suspected gang members exchanged gunfire, forcing the main path up the hill to be closed and leaving visitors unable to get down.
Footage posted online shows the group sitting on the ground as daylight breaks, with a police helicopter circling above while shots echo in the distance. Portuguese tourist Matilda Oliveiro was at the summit with her sister Rita, waiting for sunrise, when the situation suddenly changed.
Matilda Oliveiro told TV Globo: "We had waited for sunrise and, suddenly, the guides asked us to sit down and we started hearing gunshots.
"They did their job. It's always scary, but it was controlled as much as possible. We passed the police on the way, and the situation was already under control."
The group was eventually escorted down after roughly half an hour, according to local reports.
Aerial images show dozens of people gathered at the viewpoint in the early morning light, with long shadows stretching across the hill.
Rita Oliveiro said tour guides had been warned in advance about the police action. Other guides told TV Globo they had coordinated with officers operating in the area.
Speaking to O Dia, 25-year-old Danielly Nobre said: "We were caught by surprise. We were already at the top when we started hearing gunshots, and the guides were already telling us what was happening."
She added that guides and police worked to keep people calm, with a helicopter also signalling from above. Danielly Nobre said: "In the end, everything worked out.
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"Everyone went down in a single file, everyone helping, and we managed to finish the trail, see the sunrise, and experience that adrenaline rush."
Comando Vermelho and similar groups maintain tight control over territories they dominate. Their influence now extends beyond drug trafficking into services like gas supply, internet, cable TV and transport networks.
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