Culture & Society

Horrific moment massive rock formation collapses on boaters caught on video, at least six dead

January 9, 2022 | | Print Article

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At least six people are dead and dozens more injured after a large rock formation suddenly collapsed on boaters at a popular tourist site in Brazil, a tragic natural disaster that was captured in a horrifying video that has gone viral.

The incident occurred on Saturday at Furnas Lake along the Rio Grande River in the state of Minas Gerais when what has been described as a “rock wall” and a “tower of rocks” broke free and fell on boats near a scenic waterfall, resulting in pandemonium as others rushed to get out of the way and attend to those who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Authorities have confirmed that six people have died with injuries to at least 32, some of them with broken bones, as many as 20 people are missing as rescue efforts continue, including divers who are searching the lake.

In video that was posted to Twitter, the festive scene of boaters enjoying a day that in an instant was transformed into a horror are shown directly below the section of the rock face when it broke away and fell directly onto several boats, eliciting screams from other boaters, some of who may have passed by the exact spot prior to the unexpected collapse.

Minas Gerais State Fire Department Commander Edgard Estevo spoke at a news conference where said that “as many as 20 people might be missing and officials were seeking to identify them,” most of the 32 people who were injured had already been released from hospitals by Saturday night according to the Associated Press.

“It was believed that each boat involved was carrying 12 to 20 people, including children,” Fox News reported.

(Video: ABC7 Eyewitness News)

Officials believe that the breakaway formation may have been the result of heavy rainfall over the last several weeks which has caused flooding that forced thousands from their homes.

Additional video footage of the terrifying moment.

One man who has worked in the area for six years spoke of the disaster, “We are all stunned, nobody knows how many victims, but I can already tell you that there were not one or two deaths, but many deaths,” Rovilson Teixeira told Brazilian outlet OTempo. “There are a lot of hurt people. The region is full of ambulances that have come from other areas to pick up the victims, but no one yet realizes the scale of the tragedy here,” according to a translation by Fox News.

According to AP, “Furnas Lake, which was created in 1958 for the installation of a hydroelectric plant, is a popular tourist draw in the area roughly 420 kilometers (260 miles) north of Sao Paulo. Officials in Capitolio, which has about 8,400 residents, say the town can see around 5,000 visitors on a weekend, and up to 30,000 on holidays.”

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Chris Donaldson
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