SAO PAULO (AP) — At least one explosion outside Brazil’s Supreme Court killed one person and forced judges and staff to evacuate the building in the capital Brasilia, police and firefighters said.

A police statement said an artifact exploded outside the courthouse without giving further details. Local firefighters confirmed that one person died at the scene, but did not identify the victim.

Judges and court staff left the building safely after the incident, which happened around 7:30 p.m. local time, shortly after the end of Wednesday’s session. Jorge Macedo, an employee of Brazil’s supreme court, confirmed the eviction to The Associated Press.

Local media showed footage suggesting two explosions outside the court, with 20 seconds between the first and second blasts.

In recent years, the Supreme Court has become a target for threats due to a crackdown on the spread of false information amid Brazil’s deep polarization.

A body lies outside the Supreme Court in Brasília, Brazil, following an explosion, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Eraldo Peres

José Chrispiniano, a spokesman for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said the 79-year-old leader was not in the neighboring presidential palace at the time of the blast.

Police have blocked all access to the area where Brazil’s Supreme Court, Congress and the presidential palace are located.

The presidential security office is cleaning the grounds around the presidential palace, local media reported.

Earlier, another explosion was heard outside Brazil’s Congress, but no damage was reported.

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