Piranhas attack swimmers with 15 left injured and blood pouring from victims

05 March 2024 , 15:00

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A swimmer shows the wound from a piranha (Image: CEN)

Fifteen people were injured when they were attacked by piranhas as they bathed in a river.

Firefighters had to take at least four people to the local hospital last Saturday with the others able to go to A&E on their own on the same day. The victims suffered bites to their feet by the sharp-toothed fish.

They were attacked as they cooled off in the Tietê River off Pôr-do-Sol Beach in Pereira Barreto, Brazil. A snap shows how one victim received a nasty bite to the sole with blood seen pouring from the open wound.

Local officials have since sent biology experts to the scene and they’ve concluded that illegal fishing along with discarded food has influenced the mass attacks which have happened during the spawning season. Authorities have put up signs warning people against swimming at the beach.

A swimmer shows the wound from a piranha (Jam Press)

A man showed the injuries he suffered to his feet at the beach (CEN)

The piranhas that have been attacking people off Pôr-do-Sol Beach have a bite force about 30 times their body weight, according to local experts. Piranhas, with their strong jaws and finely serrated teeth, have one of the strongest bites found in bony fishes.

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Local authorities said that the victims of the piranha attacks went to the city's Santa Casa Hospital and that all were able to leave without any serious injuries. It continued: "The city hall of the Pereira Barreto tourist resort informs that, due to the recent attacks by piranhas on Praia Pôr do Sol, the place will be closed to bathers in the next few days. According to the Department of Tourism, cleaning will be carried out at the site. After the attacks, which began on Saturday, the beach was marked with temporary signs to prevent bathers from entering the water. Other signs are also being made to be installed on site.

"Igor Grespan, secretary of tourism, reported that this problem has been recurring during this period over recent years. A biologist has already been contacted and said that the attacks happen due to the spawning period. Between Saturday and Sunday, around 15 piranha attacks were recorded by firefighters working on the beach."

Tim Hanlon