A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has told the BBC of how residents came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.
The bodies kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45..., Bruno Itan told BBC Brasil. They included those of police officers.
One of the bodies had been decapitated - others were totally disfigured, he said. Many also had what he says were stab wounds.
More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.
Bruno Itan told BBC Brasil that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him there was a shoot-out.
The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.
Itan says that the police stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighbourhood, where the operation was underway.
But Itan, who grew up in the area, says he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.
Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the people there.
Following the raid, the governor of Rio state stated that the operation aimed to dismantle the Comando Vermelho gang's hold over its territory. Initially citing lower casualties, recent reports indicate a staggering total of around 132 deceased, drawing significant criticism from human rights groups and leading to escalated scrutiny into police conduct.
