Eighty-nine people were injured by lightning during a rally supporting jailed former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia, as they demanded his release. The bolt struck as thousands gathered in the rain to protest Bolsonaro’s imprisonment. His sentence stems from his involvement in attempting to overturn his 2022 election defeat. Video footage captured the chaotic moment when lightning struck, sending crowds scrambling for cover in Brasilia.

Fire department officials reported that 47 people had to be hospitalized, with 11 requiring intensive care. Emergency responders treated many others at the scene. The rally was organized by Congressman Nikolas Ferreira, who called for ‘amnesty’ for Bolsonaro and others involved in the failed coup attempt after his narrow loss to leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro, 70, remains detained at Papudinha, a special facility within the Papuda penitentiary complex. His health issues have persisted since a 2018 stabbing, which resulted in recent surgeries, hospitalizations, and evaluations.

Earlier this month, Bolsonaro fell in prison, prompting a medical evaluation that revealed no major injuries. The former president was convicted last year for attempting to maintain power through force following his election loss. In the wake of this, his supporters stormed government buildings in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, in an attempt to incite military intervention.