07 August,2016 07:46 AM IST | | AFP
The Rio Olympics got off to a troubled start on Saturday as a loud blast erupted near the cycling race's finish line and a bullet ripped through the media tent at the equestrian venue
Brazil's bomb disposal squad members in Rio on Saturday.
RIO DE JANEIRO: The Rio Olympics got off to a troubled start on Saturday as a loud blast erupted near the cycling race's finish line and a bullet ripped through the media tent at the equestrian venue.
Brazil's bomb disposal squad members in Rio on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images
Long queues also formed outside venues - as competition went on inside as volunteers and security staff struggled to cope with a sudden influx of fans.
Brazilian military carried out a controlled explosion near the Copacabana finish line of Rio Olympics men's road cycling race on Saturday, witnesses said.
Military bomb disposal experts were at the scene of the explosion and kept crowds away with police. The explosion stunned crowds gathering for the end of the race. The race leaders were about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away at the time.
Elsewhere at the Deodoro venue, onlookers were shocked when a bullet pierced the temporary venue housing media, leaving visible holes in the fabric roof and wall. It made for an unsettling day one of the Rio Games, which were launched in a blaze of colour by yesterday's flamboyant opening ceremony.
