A serene boat ride turned into a horrifying nightmare when a giant rock fell into the lake, killing tourists on the boats in Brazil. The unfortunate tragedy, captured on video showed a giant rock dislodging from a canyon, crushing three boats, killing at least 6 people.
The video showed boaters screaming as a huge slab of rock fell onto three boats in the lake near Capitolio, a city in Minas Gerais state in Brazil. According to Reuters, 20 people were rescued, while at least 24 people are still missing.
At least six people are reported to have been killed and nine injured in the incident. While most people suffered broken bones, one person reportedly sustained head and facial injuries and was reported to be in critical condition.
Heavy rains
The governor of Minas Gerais state released a statement on the tragedy and said that the accident was likely caused by heavy rains in the area that ended up dislodging the rocks.
Hours before the incident, authorities had even issued warnings for tourists to stay away from waterfalls in the area because of heavy rains. A spokesperson for the Brazilian Navy informed that an investigation is launched into the incident.
'Families are waiting for the bodies to show up'
A guide, Rovilson Teixeira, who has worked at the site for over six years told Brazilian reporters that everyone was completely shocked at the sight of the falling rock. Teixeira noted that the death toll could increase as 'no one is sure about the size of this tragedy.'
Minas Gerais governor Romeu Zema said in a statement that heavy rains 'provoked the accident' in the Furnas lake. Rescue operation is still going on. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said that they have to comfort the families who are waiting for bodies to show up. The identities of the deceased and the injured are not clear at the moment.
