Cliff collapses on train in Brazil, killing 10 people

RIO DE JANEIRO – Ten people were killed in southeastern Brazil when the face of a large cliff collapsed at a popular tourist destination, authorities said Sunday.

The rowers who narrowly escaped death were arrested ‘s video The giant slab of rock fell into Lake Furnas in the state of Minas Gerais on Saturday. The rock fell off around 12:30 p.m. after several days of intense rain in the area.

A video shows panicked rowers who could see the rocks falling into the lake and urged the others, “Get out!” But their calls seemed to be drowned out by the sound of the waterfall there and the music clattering from the boats.

Another video captures the moment the cliff plunges, destroying two small boats.

Marcos Pimenta of the Minas Gerais civilian police said 10 people had been killed and no one was missing as of Sunday afternoon.

Romeu Zema, governor of the state, said in a statement: “Today we are suffering the tragedy of loss caused by heavy rain.

Michel Leite Neves, a 31 year old Brazilian tourist who was on a boat in the lake when the cliff collapsed, told G1 news agency that he warned the boatman about the falling rocks. At first, the boatman said the phenomenon was normal, but as the rock avalanche grew stronger, he fired his machine gun which took only a few seconds to back up, Mr. Leite said.

“He turned his head because he said we’d better get out of there,” Mr Leite said. “But at that point, the cliff was already falling.”

Lake Furnas, near the city of Capitólio, is one of the picturesque destinations popular with tourists during the summer in Minas Gerais. Visitors take a boat ride to see waterfalls cascading down the color of jade water.

Lieutenant Pedro Aihara, a spokesman for the Minas Gerais Fire Department, said at least 24 people survived on the two boats that collided head-on. The search ended Sunday for all victims and survivors.

Authorities said two people remained hospitalized, while at least 27 people were treated for non-serious injuries. As of Sunday afternoon, local officials had only identified one of the dead boaters: Julio Borges Antunes, 68, a retiree from Minas Gerais.

Videos of the scene have gone viral in Brazil, where heavy rains and flooding in recent weeks have killed at least 20 others and damaged thousands of homes.

The Brazilian Navy sent a team to assist rescuers in Minas Gerais and said it would open an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.