Brazil’s top court evacuated after explosions ahead of G20

São Paulo: Brazil’s Supreme Court has been evacuated after two nearby explosions that left one dead in a square near Congress and the presidential palace in Brasilia, police said, stirring security concerns shortly before the country hosts the G20 summit.

The rare blasts come five days before global leaders from the major economies, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, meet in Rio de Janeiro, followed by a state visit to the capital by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The first explosion happened in a carpark near the court building in the evening (Thursday morning AEDT). The Supreme Court justices had just ended a plenary session and were quickly evacuated safely, the court said in a statement.

Local media showed footage suggesting two blasts outside the court, with 20 seconds between the first and the second explosions. Earlier, another explosion was heard outside Congress, but it apparently did not cause damage.

Federal police said they had deployed a bomb squad to the square in the heart of Brasilia to investigate the blasts. The country’s solicitor-general on social media described the explosions as an “attack”.

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A police officer told local television that the dead man found in the square had an explosive device on him, so his body would be carefully inspected in case of another explosion.

The explosions were heard around the Three Powers Plaza, an iconic square connecting the principal buildings of Brazil’s three branches of federal government – the Supreme Court, Congress and the presidential palace.

It was the scene of riots on January 8 last year when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro ransacked the buildings to protest his electoral defeat.