Rio De Janerio erupts into violence just 48 days before World Cup 2014

WORLD Cup host city Rio de Janeiro has erupted into violence just 48 days before the tournament starts.
VIOLENCE: Rioters in slums near Copacabana Beach clashed with police over the death of a local dancer [REX]

Rioters in slums near Copacabana Beach clashed with police over the death of a local dancer.

The area was last night under lockdown as the mob set barricades of tyres alight and torched buildings and cars.

One person was reported dead after being shot in the head during a gun battle and a 12-year-old was seriously injured.

RIOTS: Police carry a wounded man to safety [REUTERS]

“There was smoke everywhere, shots in the street and people racing for their homes”

A resident

The unrest exploded close to where the England team will stay.
A resident said: “There was smoke everywhere, shots in the street and people racing for their homes.”
The most recent outbreak of violence blew up after the body of professional dancer Rafael da Silva Pareira was found earlier this week.
Furious residents blamed the police for the death, and are accusing the authorities of mistaking the television dancer for a drug trafficker.
Huge military forces have taken over the shanty towns across Brazil in recent weeks with thousands of armed police purging them of violence, drugs and gang warfare.