Police launched a manhunt for a pair of suspects who left two bombs at a busy bus terminal, including one that exploded near dozens of people.
Surveillance video showed one of the alleged bombers sitting on a bench between two people and placing a bag containing the explosive on the ground at the Pinheiros Terminal in São Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday morning.
The suspect, who was hooded and had his face partially covered by a mask, is shown standing up and walking away when a woman sitting to his left appeared to notice the suspicious package.
The woman took off running seconds before the bomb exploded, as a man sitting on the opposite end of the bench jumped up and ran away, the video showed.
No one was injured in the attack, and parts of the terminal were closed after the explosion.
The explosion sent a stack of pamphlets that appeared to be packed with the bomb flying into the air while stunned witnesses looked on.
The pamphlets, signed by the Communist Party of Brazil, contained a number of politically-charged statements.
Brazilian authorities have launched a manhunt for a man who placed a bomb at the Pinheiro Terminal in São Paulo on Wednesday
The suspect, who was hooded and had his face partially covered by a mask, is shown walking away from the site of the explosion
The explosion sent a stack of pamphlets that appeared to be packed with the bomb flying into the air. The pamphlets, signed by the Communist Party of Brazil, contained a number of politically-charged statements. The party denied having any involvement.
‘Death to the fascists! Long live Maoism! Long live the people’s war! Long live the democratic revolution!’ they read.
A second bomb was found in another part of the terminal an hour after the first explosion.
A São Paulo Military Police bomb squad unit deployed X-ray equipment to inspect its contents before detonating it.
The second explosive did not contain any pamphlets.
The São Paulo chapter of the Communist Party of Brazil said in a statement that it was not involved and blamed its opponents for the attack.
The chapter ‘categorically clarifies that it has no involvement whatsoever with the explosive devices that were placed at the Pinheiros station, nor with the letter supposedly signed by our organization,’ it said.
The Communist Party of Brazil added that ‘far-right groups’ in the past have carried out similar acts.
‘We repudiate any attempt to involve the [party] in episodes of this nature,’ it said.
Authorities said both of the bombs were similar and they would be inspected by experts to determine how they were made.
A special police unit deployed X-ray equipment to inspect the second bomb before detonating it
Special Tactical Actions Group First Lieutenant Vitor Haddad told Brazilian news outlet G1 that authorities were not aware of the bombers’ motives.
He said both of the bombs were similar and they would be inspected by experts to determine how they were made.
