One body has been recovered and six people are missing, according to Italian authorities, after a luxury British yacht sank off the coast of Sicily.
A tornado hit the vessel around 5 a.m. Monday, according to a spokesperson for Italy’s Coast Guard. The yacht was anchored about a half a mile from the port of Porticello on the Mediterranean island.
Fifteen people have been rescued from the scene and one child was airlifted to the children’s hospital in Palermo. The captain is among the survivors, according to the Coast Guard spokesperson for Italy’s Coast Guard.
The 56-meter yacht called the “Bayesian,” which flies under a British flag, had mostly British passengers and crew, in addition to two Anglo-French, one New Zealander, one Irish and one Sri Lankan, the spokesperson told CNN.
The Italian fire brigade said its divers had reached the yacht’s hull 49 meters (160 feet) below sea level, according to a press statement. The brigade also dispatched helicopters to bolster the search operation.
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The 15 people rescued from the 160-foot sailboat after the disaster are all in stable condition, Adnkronos has said.
The BAIA Santa Nicolicchia restaurant in Porticello wrote on its Facebook page that the yacht sank at around 4am, saying it is an “unbelievable tragedy” and that they were “lost for words”.
One anonymous witness told Rai News: “That boat was all lit up. At about 4:30 in the morning, it was gone. A beautiful boat where there had been a party. A normal holiday spent happily at sea turned into a tragedy. The boat was not far from the port. It took very little to raise the anchor and head for the port. Evidently they were surprised by the storm that suddenly hit and they were unable to avoid sinking.”
The vessel is described by The Superyacht Times as one of the largest superyachts in the world. It was built in 2008 by Italian yacht builder Perini Navi.
Divers from the fire department are continuing searches around the yacht, situated around half a mile off the coast.
The British foreign ministry had no immediate response to a request for comment.
The ship is managed by Camper and Nicholsons International who have been approached for comment.
Credible News.ng
