Two dead and 32 injured when a huge piece of rock fell in Brazil

Two people died and 32 were injured when a huge rock wall from a canyon crashed this Saturday on some tourist boats in a state lake Brazilian from Minas Gerais, which has suffered a heavy rainstorm in recent days.

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The accident occurred around 11.00 local time (14.00 GMT) in Furnas Lake, a tourist spot in the municipality of Capitólio (southeast), when a large block of stone fell from a height of five meters on three boats, two of them which were completely shipwrecked.

A video that circulates on social networks and whose authenticity was confirmed to Efe by firefighters shows the moment when the huge rock detaches itself from the canyon wall and falls on the group of boats that were in the lake.

In another video moments before the accident, the affected boats are observed trying to get away from the canyon wall, amid the warnings and shouts of the people who were in the surrounding boats.

Firefighters suspect that heavy rainfall in recent days put pressure on the canyon walls, which may have caused the landslide on Saturday.

The spokesman for the Minas Gerais Fire Department, Pedro Aihara, said in statements to the ‘GloboNews’ channel that 23 of the 32 injured suffered minor injuries and have already received medical discharge.

He also explained that this region of canyons is made up of sedimentary rocks “more susceptible to the actions of wind and rain” and, therefore, “have less resistance.”

“We are in a fairly rainy period, which has been able to accelerate the penetration of water into the rocky structure,” he said.

For its part, the Brazilian Navy reported in a note that it opened an investigation to clarify the causes and circumstances of the accident.

The governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema, regretted what happened on his social networks and affirmed that the rescue work continues.

“I sympathize with the families at this difficult time. We will continue to act to provide the necessary support and protection ”, he stated.

The town of Capitólio, located about 280 kilometers from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais (southeast), is a tourist destination throughout the year due to its impressive gorges that can be visited by boat rides.

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Deshawn