Thieves steal artworks during Rio Carnival

Four armed men stole several famous paintings on Friday, including a Picasso and a Monet, from a Rio de Janeiro museum and then slipped away in a crowd of Carnival revelers.

Officials of the Chacara do Ceu museum in downtown Rio de Janeiro said among the stolen paintings were Pablo Picasso's Dance, Claude Monet's Marine, Henri Matisse's Luxemburg Garden, and Salvador Dali's Two Balconies.

The men, who were suspected of carrying a grenade, forced the guards to turn off the internal television circuit. One of the guards was manhandled.

Museum officials did not say how many paintings were stolen or place a value on them.

The thieves also walked away with the belongings of several visitors, including three foreign tourists.

The Federal Police are investigating the case and taking measures to prevent the paintings from leaving the country.