The tragedy in Minas Gerais state gripped the nation because it was captured on videos that showed an immense slab of rock smashing into pleasure boats.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Ten people were killed in southeast Brazil when the face of a massive cliff collapsed at a popular tourism spot, the authorities said Sunday. Boaters who narrowly escaped being crushed captured videos of the giant slab falling into Lake Furnas in Minas Gerais state on Saturday. The rock peeled off about 12:30 p.m. after days of intense rain in the area. One video showed panicky boaters who could see boulders tumbling into the lake urging others, “Get away!” But their calls appeared to be drowned out by the sound of the waterfall there and music blaring from the boats. Another video registered the moment the cliff came crashing down, destroying two small boats. Ten people were killed and no one remained missing on Sunday afternoon, Marcos Pimenta of the Minas Gerais civil police said.
