TEN members of the same family, including four children, have drowned after their car plunged off a road into a lake.
Four women, two men, a baby, two boys and a girl were killed in the horror tragedy in Brazil.
A passer-by raised the alarm at dawn after spotting the overturned vehicle almost completely submerged in the water.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene in Barra Mansa, in Rio de Janeiro state, but were unable to save anyone trapped inside.
Specialist divers were deployed to recover the ten bodies from the wreckage in the early hours of this morning.
Distressing pictures showed the car upside down in the lake, with only its wheels and part of its underside visible above the surface.
It remains unclear what caused the vehicle to leave the road or how long the family had been underwater before help arrived.
All ten victims are believed to have come from the neighbouring municipality of Volta Redonda, although none has yet been named.
Local reports suggest those killed included a couple, their children, grandchildren and a niece.
A son of the couple has reportedly launched a fundraiser to help pay for the funerals.
Police are now investigating the devastating crash as questions remain over how the vehicle ended up in the lake.
The latest tragedy comes just months after 16 members of another family were wiped out in a horrific head-on collision in Brazil.
Their van was struck by a truck as they travelled home from a birthday celebration on May 31.
The deadly smash happened shortly after 4.30pm on the BR-116 highway in Santa Terezinha, in the north-eastern state of Bahia.
Among the dead were van driver Manuel Oliveira dos Santos, 52, his wife Jirlene Ribeiro de Oliveira Santos, 47, and their daughter Caroline Oliveira dos Santos, 24.
Nicole Guimaraes de Castro, 37, her nine-year-old daughter Maria Rita Guimaraes Estevao dos Santos and Nicole’s mother-in-law Barbara Maria Estevao dos Santos were also killed.
The family had been heading back to the state capital Salvador after spending the weekend celebrating a birthday in Amargosa, nearly four hours inland.
Four other people were injured in the crash, including the 25-year-old truck driver, who was placed under police guard in hospital.
He was reportedly facing manslaughter charges after investigators suspected he had crossed into the opposite lane before the fatal collision.
Officers also discovered the truck had a faulty tachograph, making it impossible to establish its speed or how long the driver had been behind the wheel.
Bahia governor Jeronimo Rodrigues declared three days of mourning following the disaster.
He said: “I received with sadness the news of the accident that occurred on the BR-116.
“We are monitoring the situation and providing all necessary support to the victims and their families at this time. May God comfort the hearts of all.”
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