An overhead television camera suspended by cables crashed to the ground in the Olympic Park in Rio, lightly injuring at least seven people among the crowds below, the latest in a string of mishaps to hit South America’s first Games.

A TV news report showed two of the injured looking dazed, sitting on the ground near the heavy black camera housing.

“You could see on their face that they were hurt, but it was lucky that there was nobody else that was there because I think someone would have been killed,” witness Andy said.

Watch the camera plummet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnAVVx0rswI

One woman, bleeding from her head as medics arrived, was taken away on a stretcher.

The other walked from the scene wearing a neck brace.

“I was looking to the camera … and suddenly I heard a big snap on the cable and the camera came down,” said visitor Chris Adams, a member of the British gymnastics delegation, who was taking pictures inside the park at the time.

The camera belonged to International Olympic Committee’s broadcasting unit. Photo: Twitter.

The camera was one of many mounted on zip–lines at the stadium to give TV viewers a bird’s eye view of the action.

The drama comes a day after members of the US swim team were held up at gunpoint.

It adds to other embarrassing incidents including Olympic pools turning green after the wrong chemicals were accidentally added to the water.