50-metre sailboat with 22 people on board sank in the early hours of Monday off the coast of the Sicilian city of Palermo The Sicilian coast guard released this image of the rescue mission early on Monday One person died and six people were missing after a luxury yacht was struck by a whirlwind and sank off the coast of the Sicilian capital Palermo, Italian media reported. Fifteen people have also been rescued by the Italian coast guard. The 50-metre sailboat with 22 people on board sank in the early hours of Monday off the coast of the Sicilian city of Palermo.
An Irish national was on board the sailboat when it sunk, Italian media reported on Monday morning. Italy's Coast Guard and firefighters rescued 15 people, including a child, after the boat, flying a British flag, sank when a waterspout – a rotating column of air similar to a tornado – struck the boat this morning. The boat was carrying an Irish national, two Anglo-French citizens, a New Zealander and a Sri Lankan, news agency Adnkronos reported, while the rest were British.
The 15 people rescued are all in stable condition, Adnkronos said. It is yet unclear as to what the nationalities of the rescued and still-missing people are. Divers from the fire department are continuing searches around the vessel, now at a depth of around 50 metres and half a mile off the coast.
More to follow.
