Report: 78 killed in police strike in Brazil state

[Boombaby]

The Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO - Murder rates in the northeastern city of Salvador have more than doubled since the start of a police strike, media reports said Sunday, although they added that the situation in Brazil's third most populous city appears to be improving.

Salvador's A Tarde daily reported that 78 people have been murdered in and around Bahia state's capital city since Wednesday, when about a third of state police officers walked off the job, demanding pay raises and bonuses. Five people were killed early Sunday, including a 13-year-old girl, the report said.

The government news service Agencia Brasil has said the number of killings during the strike was more than double the number in the same period last year.

Many concerts and other events marking the run-up to Carnival were canceled Saturday night, and Brazilian television showed Salvador's normally bustling streets largely deserted. Globo television network also ran images of looted stores and the smashed-out facade of an area bank.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20120205_ap_report78killedinpolicestrikeinbrazilstate.html

[marmar]

1. Good grief.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Poorly worded headline

"during police strike" sounds more accurate.

[MrBlueSky]

3. Scary

This is truly scary. My wife and stepdaughter are from Salvador. I hope family and friends are ok.

[Scruffy1]

4. Sounds like salvador has a very high murder rate.

Even the 39 per week from the year before puts the murder rate at over 40 per hundred thousand assuming that as an average number. The murder rate in Brazil is about 27 per hundred thousand, which is over four times the USA.