Mum-of-three Caroline Pinto dos Santos, 31, died after suffering burns to 65% of her body when fuel was poured onto a sacrificial fire during a ritual in Rio, sparking a deadly explosion
A mum-of-three has died after being engulfed in flames in what her family claim was a cult-style ritual gone wrong when fuel was poured onto a sacrificial fire.
Caroline Pinto dos Santos, 31, suffered horrific burns during a private ceremony at a Candomblé temple in Realengo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 13. She fought for her life for 25 days but died from complications at Pedro II Municipal Hospital, with around 65% of her body burned.
Caroline – known within the faith as Caroline de Yewá – leaves behind three daughters aged 16, 10 and five. She was laid to rest on Saturday, (July 11) at Jardim da Saudade Cemetery in Paciência.
Shocking footage circulating online appears to show the terrifying moment the fireball erupted. In the video, Caroline can be seen crouching close to religious images near a ceramic bowl of fire – known as a cumbuca – when a man walks up and pours liquid fuel into the flames.
The result is instant. The fire suddenly expands, the container appears to explode, and Caroline is swallowed by flames in seconds.
“There are photos showing a young man throwing gasoline and then setting her on fire,” a relative told Brazilian outlet DIA. They further shared that Caroline was facing away when the flames “went towards her” and that those present did not expect what was about to happen.
The family allege that key figures responsible for overseeing the ceremony vanished after the incident, claiming some deleted social media accounts once the case began to attract attention, G1 reported. Caroline’s sister and her oldest daughter have consequently posted online demanding justice.
Before deactivating her profile, the lead priestess – the Yalorixá – described the blast as an “unexpected, unpredictable, and profoundly lamentable accident”.
The family, however, claims the person responsible for adding the fuel was the husband of the homeowner, Thayane Alves, who is known as Yalorixá Thayane de Osun.
Civil Police in Rio initially opened an investigation through the 33rd Police Precinct (Realengo) as involuntary bodily harm, Assembleianos de VALOR reported.
Following Caroline’s death, investigators are now re-evaluating the potential criminal charges.
The ceremony was part of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion that developed in Brazil in the 19th century. Candomblé blends traditional African spiritual beliefs – primarily from the Yoruba, Fon and Bantu peoples – with elements of Roman Catholicism.
Followers worship a supreme creator alongside divine spirits known as Orixás, who are honoured through ceremonies and offerings.
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