A luxury yacht carrying British passengers has sunk off the coast of Sicily, leaving seven people missing, Bloolberg reports, citing the Press Association.
The 55-meter sailing ship, dubbed Bayesian, capsized around 5 am local time near Palermo, according to the Associated Press news agency. Fifteen individuals were rescued from the vessel, which was flying a British flag, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.
The sinking occurred amidst a fierce storm that battered the area overnight, including water spouts, local media reported. The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper said the yacht was carrying passengers from several nationalities, including mostly British citizens, as well as individuals from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and British-French citizens.
“This morning, off the coast of Santa Flavia, a foreign boat sunk due to bad weather, 15 people recovered and seven missing,” said Filippo Tripoli, the mayor of Bagheria in Sicily. “Already all the police forces and emergency services are operational and our Red Cross volunteers are present.”
Search and rescue operations are currently underway, the cause of the sinking is under investigation.
