Piece of rock breaks off and collapses on boats with tourists in Brazil: at least one dead | Abroad

Three victims were seriously injured in a hospital in the town of Passos near the reservoir. Six other injured are being treated closer, according to local media and are said to have suffered only minor injuries.

The local media continue to speak of at least 15 victims and show images of the falling rock. Under the broken rock were three boats full of people enjoying themselves on the water in the tourist area in the municipality of Capitólio.

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Waves five meters high

It’s still unclear why the rock suddenly broke away from the cliff. Images do show that the rock ended up on top of at least two boats. The waves that caused the collapse in the lake have also affected other small craft. According to local authorities, the rock at the ill-fated site briefly set off waves five meters high. There were only small boats with many people close by.

The accident was on the water of the huge reservoir in an area in the state of Minas Gerais, more than 300 kilometers northwest of Rio de Janeiro. Since the completion of the dam in 1963, the waters in this region have attracted tourists.

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