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In Rio, exploding manhole injures 1

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Keen to show tourists need not fear for their safety ahead of the football World Cup in Brazil this year, Rio authorities have been beefing up police numbers in touristy areas.

But muggers aren't the only threat to tourists -- one of whom was hurt Saturday by a rather different species of public nuisance: a flying manhole cover.

Police and firefighters said a visitor from the southern state of Santa Catarina was taken to hospital for stitches after a manhole blew its lid and cut him on the leg.

A spokesman for electrical provider Light blamed a malfunction with underground junction boxes and dispatched technicians to the scene.

The utility has said many transformers in metro junction boxes are old and need replacing in case sparks ignite underground gases.

Last month, sparks beneath one in a different Ipanema street caused it to blow and led to a 12-hour power cut which Light blamed on copper wire thieves.

Other similar incidents have happened in recent months in the western suburb of Tijuca, a zone which will also stage Olympic action during the 2016 Rio Games, as well as the central Botafogo district.

Keen to show tourists need not fear for their safety ahead of the football World Cup in Brazil this year, Rio authorities have been beefing up police numbers in touristy areas.

But muggers aren’t the only threat to tourists — one of whom was hurt Saturday by a rather different species of public nuisance: a flying manhole cover.

Police and firefighters said a visitor from the southern state of Santa Catarina was taken to hospital for stitches after a manhole blew its lid and cut him on the leg.

A spokesman for electrical provider Light blamed a malfunction with underground junction boxes and dispatched technicians to the scene.

The utility has said many transformers in metro junction boxes are old and need replacing in case sparks ignite underground gases.

Last month, sparks beneath one in a different Ipanema street caused it to blow and led to a 12-hour power cut which Light blamed on copper wire thieves.

Other similar incidents have happened in recent months in the western suburb of Tijuca, a zone which will also stage Olympic action during the 2016 Rio Games, as well as the central Botafogo district.

AFP
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