British woman shot by gang after family accidentally drive into favela in Brazil

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A British woman has been shot after accidentally driving into a favela close in a popular tourist resort in Brazil, according to reports.

The woman, named locally as Eloise Dixon, was with her husband and three children in Angra dos Reis, a coastal area about 90 miles from Rio de Janeiro, when they were fired on.

Because of difficulty understanding directions, the family ended up in a slum area known to have drug traffickers, according to the O Dia newspaper.

Authorities said a gang approached the car and told the family to get out before opening fire, hitting the woman twice in the abdomen.

Bruno Gilaberte, local police chief, told O Globo newspaper that the family were trying to buy water at the time and had been told to head towards the area of Água Santa, or holy water.

He said: “Because of the difficulty with the language, there was this confusion.

“They ended up going to the Holy Water community, where they were approached by the criminals.

“Because they did not understand the order to leave, they continued on and were shot.”

The woman reportedly underwent surgery and was in a stable condition, while the rest of the family were unhurt in Sunday’s incident.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told the Standard: “We are in touch with the local authorities in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, following reports of the shooting of a British national.”

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