(CNN) — At least six people died in Brazil following a portion of a rocky mountain fell on several tourist boats in the state of Minas Gerais on Saturday, officials from the state fire department said.
According to Pedro Aihara, a spokesman for the Minas Gerais Fire Department, the death toll rose to six and he said divers will remain in the area for the time being.
Videos posted on social media showed tourists in other boats on Lake Furnas yelling “get out of there” just before the huge chunk of land was dislodged.
According to Romeu Zema, governor of Minas Gerais, the large piece of rock fell off in Furnas Lake in Capitólio due to heavy rains.
“I sympathize with the families at this difficult time. We will continue to act to provide the necessary support and support, “Zema said in a tweet.
At a press conference, the commander of the Minas Gerais Fire Department, Colonel Edgard Estevo, said that the searches for the missing person would continue, but the divers would stop their search overnight as a precaution for their safety.
UPDATE – CAPITOL ACCIDENT
The Fire Department remains engaged in the search for the victims of the accident on Capitol Hill.
At that time, the information of 5 fatal victims was confirmed.#cbmmg pic.twitter.com/AKvW6jl2mE
— Firefighters_MG (@Firefighters_MG) January 8, 2022
Nine people were transferred to nearby hospitals while authorities are still investigating the incident, Agência Brasil reported.
The President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, tweeted the video He added that the Navy deployed a team from the relief force to join the search and rescue efforts.
