A firefight has stopped traffic on a major highway near Rio de Janeiro's international airport, with motorists seeking protection by sprawling on the tarmac beneath their cars.
Images shot on cellphones showed scores of people cowering behind engine blocks or lying flat on the stomachs beneath their cars as dozens of shots rang out.
The Globo television network reported that traffic on Rio's Red Line highway was stopped for about 15 minutes during Tuesday's firefight. No injuries were reported.
The shootout was the latest in a series of such incidents along the highway, which links the Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport to the city.
The uptick in violence comes just nine months before Rio plays host to the Olympics, which will see 10,500 athletes converge on the city.
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