News

Brazil cliff collapse kills at least seven

January 9, 2022 12:28 PM


At least seven people were killed and three were missing after a cliff collapsed onto boats carrying tourists on a lake in Brazil, authorities said Saturday.

Rescue teams including a dive squad and members of the Brazilian Navy rushed to Furnas Lake in Minas Gerais state, where panicked tourists had watched helplessly as a large rock fragment broke off a ravine and plunged atop three boats.

The latest official toll is "seven dead and three missing," Minas Gerais firefighters' spokesman Pedro Aihara said on Saturday night.

Another 32 were wounded, including nine who had to be hospitalized, authorities said. 

https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1479883043582222338

Firefighters had initially reported 20 missing, but "that number was substantially reduced because a good part of the victims who were unaccounted for were people who moved by their own means to hospitals," Aihara said in a voice message sent to reporters.

Tourists flock to see the rock walls, caverns and waterfalls that surround the green waters of Lake Furnas, formed by the hydroelectric dam of the same name.

Dramatic videos shared on social networks caught the exact moment when the cliff fell on the three boats. 

https://twitter.com/asolepascual/status/1479932895259246593

Another video posted on social media shows the minute before the fall, in which several people warn that "lots of stones are falling" and yell at the occupants of the other boats to move away from the wall. 

President Jair Bolsonaro retweeted some of these videos on his account, and reported that "as soon as the unfortunate disaster occurred, the Brazilian Navy moved to the site to rescue victims and transport the injured."

The divers' search will be interrupted overnight for safety reasons and resumed in the morning, but other rescuers continue to work at the site.

Very heavy rain has fallen in recent days in southeastern Brazil, making the collapse more likely, according to firefighters.



Most Read

  1. Here are some unknown facts about Mahira Khan hubby Salim Karim Here are some unknown facts about Mahira Khan hubby Salim Karim
  2. Punjab declares high alert as Nipah Virus threat looms large Punjab declares high alert as Nipah Virus threat looms large
  3. Dutch scientist predicts massive quake to hit Balochistan in next 48 hours Dutch scientist predicts massive quake to hit Balochistan in next 48 hours
  4. Here's something significant about Mahira Khan’s destination wedding Here's something significant about Mahira Khan’s destination wedding
  5. Electricity bills nonpayment lands Master Tile owner in lock-up Electricity bills nonpayment lands Master Tile owner in lock-up
  6. Another video of randy biker harassing female student in Karachi surfaces Another video of randy biker harassing female student in Karachi surfaces

Opinion

  1. Wave of terror attacks targets places of worship in Pakistan, resilience remains unshaken
    Wave of terror attacks targets places of worship in Pakistan, resilience remains unshaken

    By Rehan Khan Ghauri

  2. Gandhi for the world and Godse for India:Subterfuge or plainspokenness
    Gandhi for the world and Godse for India:Subterfuge or plainspokenness

    By Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai

  3. China National Day: Strengthening China-Pakistan Friendship and Coordinated Economic Cooperation
    China National Day: Strengthening China-Pakistan Friendship and Coordinated Economic Cooperation

    By Dr Asif Channer

  4. Gender equality: A pre-requisite for a balanced society
    Gender equality: A pre-requisite for a balanced society

    By Mehak Sabir

  5. Time to move on and build a better Pakistan
    Time to move on and build a better Pakistan

    By Murtaza Rafiq Bhutto