Rio 2016: Brazilian army undergoes riot control simulation

Around 1,000 marines from the Brazilian army underwent a riot control test in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, as part of the security preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held from Aug. 5-21.

The training took place on the beach of Flamengo, in the south of the city, where a ship offloaded troop transport trucks while others disgorged marines onto the beach.

Once on land, all the participants headed by truck to the National Monument for the Second World War, near to the Santos Dumont airport and to where the sailing events will be held during the Games.

Also in Flamengo, helicopters simulated rescuing injured people during a riot.

This training phase for the army began last weekend and will continue until the end of this week, when the first Olympic delegations are expected to arrive in the city.

Recent terrorist attacks, such as the one in Nice, France on July 14, have led the Brazilian government to significantly ramp up its security apparatus ahead of the Games.

(APD)