A bus ferrying Chinese journalists from the airport to the Olympic village in Rio de Janeiro, was taken by surprise when a shootout broke out and although no reporters were harmed in the incident, six local people were reported dead, according to the South China Morning Post.

The shootout occurred Wednesday night when the journalists were traveling to cover the arrival of the Chinese national basketball team in Rio.

“The coach that the journalists were on, encountered gunfire and six locals were killed,” said a member of the Chinese team, clarifying that the basketball team was traveling in another vehicle and avoided the incident.

The Chinese delegation to Rio have already witnessed several other unpleasant incidents, prompting a Chinese police official to travel to the Olympic village to collaborate on security.

On July 29, an allegedly drunk man had vomited on hurdler Shi Dongpeng and a journalist accompanying him, in order to create a distraction and steal their belongings.

While Shi was cleaning himself and the reporter pursued the “aggressor”, an accomplice of the man snatched the journalist’s suitcase that contained cameras and laptops, according to the Chinese Consulate in Rio de Janeiro.

Days before the incident, members of the Chinese women’s fencing team were also subject to an attempted robbery while they were strolling through the famous Copacabana beach and some teens tried to snatch a necklace from the neck of star fencer, Xu Anqi. EFE

Beijing, Aug 5 (EFE)