13 die after tourist boat capsizes

A tourist boat carrying more than 30 people capsized in bad weather off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, killing 13 passengers, authorities said.

Mario Berrios, the Nicaraguan navy’s commander for the southern Caribbean region, said the dead were all Costa Rican nationals who were traveling aboard the Reina del Caribe, Spanish for “Caribbean Queen.”

The vessel went down amid rain and strong winds as it was plying the Corn Islands, a popular tourist destination.

Berrios said that of the 32 passengers on the boat, 25 were Costa Ricans, four were Americans and three were Nicaraguans.

He added that most of the 13 dead were women. The other 19 passengers were rescued.