Video: Huge rock breaks off cliff & crushes tourist boats in Brazil lake, 7 killed

<p>
At least seven people have been killed and 32 injured after a huge slab of rock broke from a cliff and crushed leisure boats near a waterfall on a lake in Brazil, according to a BBC report on Sunday.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
Terrible video out of Lake Furnas, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brazil?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brazil</a>, captures the moment a canyon cliff collapses on boats full of tourists. Latest reports say at least 5 dead 20 missing.<a href="https://t.co/03LrGX0kIL">pic.twitter.com/03LrGX0kIL</a></p>
— Albert Solé  (@asolepascual) <a href="https://twitter.com/asolepascual/status/1479932895259246593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>
Three persons are missing and divers and helicopters are searching the water for any more survivors.</p>
<p>
Video circulating online shows the moment the rock detaches from the cliff face as onlookers try to yell warnings to the boats beneath.</p>
<p>
At least one of the boats appears to have sunk, while others managed to escape.</p>
<p>
The collapse at 11:00 local time followed days of rain in Minas Gerais state, which had made the cliffs more susceptible to collapse, local fire officials told reporters.</p>
<p>
Three vessels were hit by falling rock, Lieutenant Pedro Aihara told reporters. Out of the 32 injured, nine people were in hospital, the BBC report said.</p>
<p>
Twenty people were initially reported missing, but Lt Aihara said most were accounted for after checking hospital lists.</p>