Italian prosecutors on Saturday announced they have opened a manslaughter and “culpable shipwreck” investigation into the sinking of a British-flagged superyacht in Italy earlier this week. The Bayesian , a luxury 184-foot sailing yacht, sank more than 160 feet in the early hours of Monday after capsizing during a storm off the coast of Sicily. Seven people were killed, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah .
Ambrogio Cartosio, the chief prosecutor of Sicilian town Termini Imerese, confirmed Saturday his team was investigating the possible causes of the deadly shipwreck and whether any crimes were committed. “Behaviors that were not perfectly in order” may have contributed to the fatalities, Cartosio told reporters at a news conference, while noting the investigation is still in its early stages. “For me, it is probable that offenses were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter , but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate,” he said.
Prosecutors are looking into whether the captain, crew members, ship manufacturer Perini Navi or any others can be held responsible for the tragedy . They’re primarily focused on how the ship, described as “unsinkable” by Perini Navi, sank so quickly while a nearby sailboat was largely unscathed in the storm . While Cartosio is looking into possible “culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter,” the investigation is currently not directed at any sp.