A young Brazilian beauty queen has died in a heartbreaking accident while spending time with her family.
A beauty queen has died after being struck by lightning in a freak accident while she was brushing her niece’s hair.
Ana Beatriz Araújo Ferreira, 22, was in her mother’s garden in Almas, Brazil, with her young niece during a family lunch when the bolt suddenly hit.
She was rushed to hospital on Saturday but died later that day.
Her brother, César Augusto, said it all happened in a split second.
He described her as the family’s rock and said she was one of the most beautiful people he has ever known.
Ana was studying to become a physiotherapist and had recently been crowned Queen of the Rodeo at the town’s ExpoAlmas Fair.
She was also a mother to a five-year-old son.
Her godmother, Marcella Batista, called her a joyful young woman and a model mother who was devoted to her son.
She said Ana always spent weekends with her mother, looked after her sisters, did their hair and cooked nice food for them.
The Almas Rural Union, which crowned her, said she represented the event with joy and love for local tradition.
It said her death leaves deep sadness in everyone who knew her.
A wake was held at the family home on Sunday, and she was buried on Monday morning at the town cemetery.
Her death comes after the passing of another young beauty queen.
Miss Austria, Lucia Sisic, 22, from Vienna, died just months after a heart operation.
She was born with a heart valve defect and had spoken openly about her health.
The exact cause of her death is not known, and her loved ones said she had gone far too soon.
In July, Miss Universe Tegucigalpa 2026 runner-up Wualys Suseth Fuentes Aquino, 23, was found dead in her apartment after her family raised the alarm when they had not heard from her in days.
Police looked into both foul play and natural causes. Friends remembered her as a joyful and charismatic young woman with big dreams.