At least four die in Italian boat horror
Britons among tourists sunk by whirlwind
AT least four people died as a boat carrying more than 20 tourists, including Britons, sank during a “whirlwind” in Italy.
The vessel, hired for a birthday trip, capsized while touring the northern beauty spot of Lake Maggiore.
Officials said the 52ft boat turned over in high winds following warnings of severe thunderstorms.
Fire service staff said 19 people were later found safe, as searches continued for a few still reported as missing after Sunday evening’s tragedy.
Four passengers, including a Israeli man, 50, were found dead in the water. Unconfirmed reports said victims were Italian, Israeli and Russian.
Five others were taken to hospital – two in a critical condition.
Storm
Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, blamed the tragedy on the bad weather. He said the boat had been rented by tourists.
The vessel had been carrying around 25 people who were reportedly celebrating a birthday when a severe storm quickly sprang up over the lake, then turned into a “small hurricane” or “whirlwind”.
The boat capsized almost immediately and sank soon afterwards between the towns of Sesto Calende and Arona.
It is understood that everybody on board was pitched into the icy waters. Many of the passengers either managed to swim ashore or were quickly picked up by other boats.
One of the passengers, a Russian woman, was reported to have been the partner of the boat’s skipper. Rescue divers and a helicopter were scrambled to join in with the search at the southern end of the 40-mile long lake which is 1,220ft deep and mostly below sea level. Several ambulances and an air ambulance were also involved in the emergency response.
A video shared by firefighters showed chairs and other debris floating in choppy waters.
Picturesque Lake Maggiore – on the south side of the Alps – is split between Italy and Switzerland, and has long been a popular destination for sightseers.
But the area has seen poor weather in recent days, with Italy’s meteorological service putting out severe thunderstorm warnings.
Last night a spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said: “We are in contact with local authorities in Italy after a boat accident and are ready to provide consular assistance to any British nationals involved.”