More than 40 dead bodies were seen on a street in Rio de Janeiro's Penha favela complex early on Wednesday (October 29), according to a Reuters witness, a day after the most lethal police operation in the city's history targeting a major gang.

Rio de Janeiro state authorities said on Tuesday that at least 64 people, including four police officers, were killed in the raids. An updated death toll is expected later on Wednesday.

The bodies were brought to the street by residents who went looking for their missing relatives after the raid, according to people at the scene.

The police operation happened days before Rio hosts global events related to the United Nations climate summit known as COP30, including the C40 global summit of mayors tackling climate change and British Prince William's Earthshot Prize.

Police have often conducted large-scale operations against criminal groups ahead of major events in Rio, which hosted the 2016 Olympics, the 2024 G20 summit and the BRICS summit in July.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BODIES LEFT EXPOSED ON STREET / AFTERMATH OF DEADLY POLICE RAID IN RIO FAVELA / SOUNDBITES FROM GRIEVING RELATIVES

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES

SHOWS: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 29, 2025) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF MORE THAN 40 BODIES OF PEOPLE KILLED DURING POLICE RAID IN A FAVELA, LEFT EXPOSED IN STREET

2. RESIDENT COVERING THE BODY OF SOMEONE KILLED DURING THE POLICE RAID

3. (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF MORE THAN 40 BODIES OF PEOPLE KILLED DURING POLICE RAID IN A FAVELA

4. MEDICAL EXAMINERS OFFICE VEHICLE LEAVING THE SCENE WITH BODIES

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) TAUA BRITO, CONFECTIONER AND MOTHER OF VICTIM, SAYING:

"I just want to take my son out of here and bury him. You know why? It won’t do any good. The truth is, it won’t do any good, because here there are a lot of people crying, but outside there are a lot of people applauding what they did, which was a massacre.”

6. MOTHER OF VICTIM, TAUA BRITO, TOUCHING THE FACE OF HER SON KILLED DURING OPERATION

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) TAUA BRITO, CONFECTIONER AND MOTHER OF VICTIM, SAYING:

“Is that right? What kind of operation is this? What has changed? Did they introduce any sports, any studies, anything to improve the lives of young people? They haven’t changed anything!"

8. PEOPLE REMOVING BODY FROM CAR TRUNK

9. COUPLE SEARCHING FOR RELATIVE AMONG THE DEAD

10. PEOPLE UNLOADING BODIES FROM PICKUP TRUNK

11. FAMILY GRIEVING THEIR RELATIVES

12. YOUNG PEOPLE AND CHILDREN WATCHING BODIES LYING IN THE SQUARE

13. WOMAN CRYING ON THE PHONE

14. RESIDENTS APPLAUDING THE DEAD IN THE OPERATION

15. RESIDENTS TOUCHING THE BODY OF THEIR DECEASED RELATIVE

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PRIEST, NO NAME GIVEN, SAYING:

"It’s hard to see so much suffering, and we can’t allow it to be silenced."

17. MOTHER OF A VICTIM, ELIECI SANTANA, TOUCHING HER SON’S BODY

18. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) MOTHER OF A VICTIM, ELIECI SANTANA, SAYING:

"The government paid for this, to carry out this massacre, they have to pay for it. They can’t destroy so many lives, so many families, and get away with it."

19. WOMAN CRYING ON SIDEWALK

20. RESIDENTS WATCHING BODIES

21. (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF BODIES LEFT EXPOSED, BEING REMOVED