Disaster in Brazil: rock face buries tourist boats - probably the whole family wiped out

Created: 01/10/2022Updated: 01/10/2022, 12:32 PM

From: Yasina Hipp

Several boats with tourists cavorted on the Brazilian Furnas Lake when a rock wall came off and collapsed.

The death toll has risen to ten.

Update from January 10, 12.25 p.m.:

The number of deaths after the accident in Brazil, in which a rock wall fell on excursion boats, has risen to a total of ten. Divers found two people still missing, as the fire brigade announced on Sunday evening (local time). The dead and missing are, in addition to the boat driver, a married couple, their son and a grandson and other relatives and friends, said the regional police officer, Marcos Pimenta, at a press conference.

The bodies were taken to the nearby town of Passos.

Five dead were identified by Sunday evening.

Because of her condition, identification was said to have been difficult for the coroners.

Video images from Saturday afternoon showed how some stones first fell from a cliff and then a large part of a rock came off.

He tipped over on the excursion boats cruising below him on the Lago de Furnas in Capitólio.

According to the fire department, two boats were hit directly and two more indirectly.

Dramatic accident in Brazil: rock face collapses

First report from January 9th:

Brazil - The terrible accident in the Brazilian state of Mina Gervais occurred on Saturday afternoon, Brazilian time. Numerous tourists were in boats in the gorges of the popular Furnas Lake in Brazil when suddenly, as if out of nowhere, part of the meter-high rock wall came loose and fell into the water. The huge boulder tipped over and buried several of the boats under it. At least seven people were killed and three more are missing, according to the state fire department.

32 other people were injured when the rock, weighing several tons, broke down.

Initially, the authorities reported six dead and 20 missing.

According to the fire brigade, the number could initially only be estimated on the basis of "testimony from witnesses, tourism operators and relatives".

Now it has increased to seven dead and 32 missing.

The search of the diving unit was interrupted during the night for safety reasons and is to be continued this Sunday.

Rock wall collapse in Brazil: shocking videos on the net

Some of the tourists captured the terrible spectacle with their smartphones.

Numerous videos landed on the net, including on Twitter, that show the moment of the collapse.

Rock wall collapse in Brazil: Heavy rains as the reason

Lake Furnas with its striking green water and high gorges is a popular destination for excursions.

Located about 300 kilometers west of Belo Horizonte and 300 kilometers north of São Paulo, it attracts many tourists.

Romeu Zema, governor of the state of Minas Gervais, reported on Twitter about the tragedy and gave a reason for the cliff collapse: “We are experiencing a tragedy in our state today, triggered by the heavy rains that hit a rock face on Lake Furnas Capitólio solves. ”In the neighboring state of Bahia there had been heavy rains with floods at the end of December.

The Brazilian Navy, also involved in the rescue operation.

announced further investigations to finally clarify the cause of the accident.