An entire family was buried by an avalanche on a Brazilian tourist cliff

At least three people died on Tuesday buried by a landslide on the cliff of Pipa, located on the beach of the same name and one of the main tourist sites in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

As the militarized police told the international agency Efe, the three people were members of the same family and were on the beach when the avalanche of earth buried them.

The Bandeirantes channel reported the victims were identified as Stella Souza, 33, her husband, Hugo Pereira, 32, and their seven-month-old baby, Sol.

The fire department said it was a couple and their daughter, residents of the nearby urban area. Pipa Beach, located in the municipality of Tibaú do Sul and 85 kilometers from Natal, the regional capital, is the main seaside resort on the coast of the southern region of the state and before the new coronavirus pandemic it was receiving around 7000 people per day in high summer season.

During quarantine, the spa did not close for bathers. Last September, a tourist couple from Joao Pessoa, capital of neighboring Paraiba state, suffered an accident atop the cliff while traveling on an ATV.

The off-road motorcycle lost control and its two occupants were thrown into the ravine, injured and transferred to Natal, where they underwent surgeries.

After the accident, a team of geologists went to the scene to check whether there is a risk of new landslides and to analyze the possibility of isolating the tourist spot from bathers.