Rock formation collapses onto boats in Brazil killing at least 6 people
Fire department officials are pictured at Lake Furnas after a rock formation collapsed onto multiple boats traveling on a lake in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on Saturday, killing at least six people.
A screenshot taken from a video shared by President Jair Bolsonaro
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- A rock formation collapsed onto multiple boats traveling on a lake in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais on Saturday, killing at least six people.
Video posted to social media and confirmed by the fire department in Minas Gerais shows the moment the massive rock formation slammed into the boats on Lake Furnas in the town of Capitólio.
The bodies of six people have been confirmed to have died while divers with rescue teams continue searching for 20 missing people, fire department spokesman Pedro Aihara said.
First responders were able to rescue 24 people from two boats that were directly hit by the falling rock formation, Aihara said. Those survivors were treated for injuries including broken bones.
Dozens of others who were on two nearby boats that suffered an indirect impact were treated for minor injuries, according to officials
"Today, we are suffering the pain of a tragedy in our state, due to heavy rains, which caused the loosening of a wall of stones in Lake Furnas, in Capitólio," Romeu Zema, the governor of the state, said in a statement posted to Twitter.
Search and rescue teams carry a young victim of the rock formation collapse
in Capitólio, Brazil. Photo courtesy Jair Bolsonaro/Twitter
"Rescue work is still ongoing. I stand in solidarity with the families at this difficult time. We will continue to act to provide the necessary support and support."
President Jair Bolsonaro said in a statement to Twitter that the Brazilian Navy deployed relief teams to help in the region while also providing search and rescue operations for victims of the tragedy.
Brazil: Several dead as cliff collapses on boats
At least six people are reported dead, while 20 others are still missing. Officials suggest that heavy rains were the cause of the accident.
Parts of a cliff face fell onto boaters on Brazil's Furnas Lake
A slab of rock broke off from a cliff and fell onto boaters at a lake in southeastern Brazil, killing at least six, authorities said on Saturday.
Edgard Estevo, commander of the Minas Gerais State Fire Department, said as many as 20 people were believed to be missing and officials were seeking to identify them.
Officials said at least 32 people had been injured but most had been released from hospitals by Saturday evening.
Divers and helicopters have been deployed to search for the 20 people still missing
Video images showed a group of small boats drifting near a waterfall below a cliff on Furnas Lake when a piece of rock broke off, hitting at least two of the boats.
Another video on social media shows the minute before the incident, with people warning that "many stones are falling" and advising other boats to move away from the rocks.
Where did the accident occur?
Estevo said the incident occurred between the towns of Sao Jose da Barra and Capitolio, located in Brazil's southeastern Minas Gerais state. The boats had left from the town of Capitolio.
Furnas Lake was originally formed along with the creation of a hydroelectric dam and is a major tourist attraction in the area.
Tourists come to see the rock walls, caverns and waterfalls surrounding the Furnas Lake's waters.
Why did the accident happen?
Officials suggested that the rock could have come loose due to recent heavy rains that caused flooding in the state and displaced 17,000 people.
Pedro Aihara, spokesperson for the Minas Gerais State Fire Department, told Brazilian broadcaster GloboNews that the rocks in this area are "more susceptible to the effects of wind and rain" and "show less resistance."
sdi/nm (AP, AFP, Reuters, Lusa
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