Beauty pageant queen dies aged 22 after being struck by lightning

A beauty queen has died aged 22 after being struck by lightning.

Ana Beatriz Araújo Ferreira had been in the back garden of her mother's home in Almas, Brazil, on Saturday during a mild rainstorm.

Her sister, Lana Letícia, said the outdoor space was lined with several trees and had a small area for a wash tub.

Ferreira had just finished bathing her five-year-old son and sent him inside before helping her brother's daughter.

'She was combing my niece's hair when the bolt hit,' Letícia said.

The young mom, also known as Aninha, was taken to hospital alive but succumbed to her injuries later that day.

Ferreira's brother, César Augusto, said the tragedy happened in a split second.

'The day was cloudy with a very calm drizzle,' he explained.

Beauty queen Ana Beatriz Araújo Ferreira has died aged 22 after being struck by lightning

Augusto later spoke to CNN Brasil as he shared: 'Aninha is and was one of the most beautiful people I've ever known.'

He added that she was struck by lightning while 'doing what she loved most, showing love through something simple.'

'Thank you for those 22 years of us,' he added in an Instagram post. 

'For having existed. For teaching us so much in such a short time. You aren't truly gone. You live on in your son, in our story, and in a love that will never end. 

'I love you forever. And I will miss you every single day of my life. Rest in peace, my girl.'

Ferreira had recently been named Queen of the Rodeo at agricultural fair ExpoAlmas.

Organizers have since mourned her loss on Instagram in a heartfelt post that read: 'Her passing leaves a huge void among family, friends, and the entire community that had the privilege of knowing her. 

'In this moment of grief, we stand in solidarity with their family and friends, wishing them strength and comfort to face [this] irreparable loss.'

Ferreira had recently been named Queen of the Rodeo at agricultural fair ExpoAlmas

Ferreira's godmother, Marcella Batista, called her joyful, full of dreams and devoted to her relatives.

'She was a model mother, careful. She was extremely family orientated,' she said.

Ferreira was studying physiotherapy at Unopar University, a private school in Brazil, and had only just started her first term.