A rock wall collapsed on Lake Furnas in Brazil, killing seven people | Stories
A rock fell on a recreational boat in Furnas Lake, killing seven and injuring at least 32 people.
At least seven people have been killed and nine seriously injured when a stone wall collapsed on a boat carrying tourists off the southeast coast of Brazil.
Saturday’s video of the event showed visitors screaming as the rock fell, smashing several respiratory boats and sending huge waves at sea to Capitolio in the state of Minas Gerais.
Rescue teams including a naval team and members of the Brazilian Army rushed to Furnas Lake.
A large rock from a river in Capitólio, Minas Gerais, Brazil, was smashed to pieces by two fast boats parked at Lake Furnas.
Firefighters from Minas Gerais were called to the scene. Pray 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/NEbRPt6coT
– Kennia Wiswesser 🇺🇸🇧🇷 (@KWiswesser) January 8, 2022
The latest figures are “seven dead and three missing,” said Pedro Aihara, a spokesman for Minas Gerais.
Thirty-two others were injured, including nine who were hospitalized, authorities said.
The victims were broken bones, and one was hospitalized with head and face injuries.
Furnas Lake, built in 1958 to establish a hydroelectric power plant, is a popular tourist attraction in the area about 420 kilometers (260 miles) north of Sao Paulo.
Officials in Capitolio, with a population of about 8,400, say the town can see about 5,000 visitors on weekends, as well as 30,000 on vacation.
Officials say the rock may have been caused by heavy rains that caused floods in the state and forced about 17,000 people to flee their homes.
On Saturday, the court flooded the steel mine 300 kilometers east, cutting off a federal highway.
