Wild piranha attack leaves four dead and 20 injured in Paraguay

Published on 01/06/2022 5:20 PM

(credit: reproduction)

Four swimmers have died in a wave of violent piranha attacks in Paraguay. It ended up injuring 20 others.

One of the dead was a 22-year-old who lost his family while on the beach. According to the newspaper Mirror Online, relatives called the police, and 45 minutes later the man’s body was found seriously injured.

The attack occurred while he was swimming in the Paraguay River, south of the capital, Asuncion, in Ita Enramada, last Sunday (2/01). Autopsy tests confirmed that the 22-year-old man was killed in the water by piranhas.

A 49-year-old man was also killed in the Paraguay River in Puerto Rosario. The body was found with injuries after being reported missing.

Two other people were killed in the Tiberquare River in the town of Misiones. The newspaper reported that the bodies were found with piranha bites Nation.

Other reports of attacks on fish were recorded in the area. Seven of them on New Year’s Eve at the Bella Vista Swimming Club beach in Itapua, Paraguay. Adrian Cardoza, the club’s director, said they are considering putting chemicals in the water to keep out piranhas.

Biologist Giulio Javier Capelli explained to the channel ABC.com.py That piranhas can hide behind floating plants in rivers before attacking people. He also said fish are more likely to be attacked during the breeding season, but also in warmer climates, when the water level in rivers is low.

Piranhas usually move in groups and the male usually attacks to protect the young. The bites are underwater, and not by a jumping predator, as is often seen in horror films.