At least seven people were killed, and nine others were critically injured when a rock wall crashed into tourist boats on a lake in southeastern Brazil.

Tourists shouted when a column of rock collapsed, destroying many recreational boats and unleashing a massive wave over the lake in Capitolio, Minas Gerais state.

Rescue teams rushed to Furnas Lake, including a diving squad and members of the Brazilian Navy.

According to Pedro Aihara, spokesman for Minas Gerais firemen, the current official death toll is "seven dead and three missing."

Authorities reported that another 32 people were injured, including nine who required hospitalization.

The accident victims had shattered bones, and one was hospitalized in critical condition with head and face injuries.

Furnas Lake, which was built in 1958 to construct a hydroelectric station, is a renowned tourist site located around 420 kilometers (260 miles) north of Sao Paulo.

Capitolio officials estimate that the hamlet of approximately 8,400 residents receives about 5,000 visitors on weekends and up to 30,000 on holidays.

Officials speculated that the rock face collapsing could have resulted from recent severe rains that triggered floods in the state and displaced over 17,000 people from their homes.

On Saturday, a dike at a 300-kilometer-east iron ore mine spilled, cutting off a major federal route.