Seven people are missing after a yacht with 22 people on board, including British nationals and other foreigners, capsized off the coast of Sicily due to bad weather.
Fifteen people, including a one-year-old child were rescued from the 49-meter (160-foot) sailboat by coast guard patrol vessels and firefighters.
Italy’s ANSA news agency said four Britons, one Canadian and two Americans are missing.
The incident happened around 5am on Monday off the coast of Palermo, during a strong storm that brought a vortex and rough seas to the area.
Rescue divers are trying to reach the hull, which has sunk to a depth of about 49 meters.
The Prosecutor’s Office in Termini Imerese is conducting an investigation of the incident.
The child, a boy, arrived at the hospital with his mother, who suffered minor injuries.
The 15 people rescued are all in good health.
Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper said the ship was flying the British flag and that the passengers were mainly British, but also from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ireland, as well as French-British nationals.
ANSA said that the ship, named Bayesian, had docked in the port of Porticello and left on Sunday evening.
A superyacht measuring nearly 130 feet sunk off the coast of Southern Italy on Saturday, after members of the Italian Coast Guard rescued nine people from the submerging ship.
The Italian press this weekend reported that the 39.4-meter “My Saga” motor yacht sunk off the coast of Catanzaro Marina.
Video from the scene shows the massive boat teetering into the water before fully sinking stern-first.
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Source: The Guardian
