One body has been found but six people are still missing after a superyacht carrying mostly British passengers sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily.
Some 15 people were rescued from the 55m (180ft) vessel, including a one-year-old English girl and her mother.
Here’s everything we know about the sinking of the luxury vessel so far.
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One dead after yacht capsizes in tornado
What might have caused the sinking?
The British-flagged luxury vessel, named Bayesian, capsized at around 4.30am local time off Palermo, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.
It sank with 22 people on board consisting of 12 passengers and a crew of 10, according to the Italian coast guard.
Waterspouts, essentially tornados which form over water, were seen as powerful winds which battered the area overnight, local media said.
Image: The boat which sank off the coast of Palermo. Pic: Fabio La Bianca
What are waterspouts?
Waterspouts typically occur during thunderstorms and can develop very rapidly, within minutes.
Their spin generally reaches wind speeds between 75-200mph, but can reach as high as over 300mph.
They can travel at around 10-20mph typically but can reach greater speeds on occasions, making them difficult to avoid – especially in something as slow-moving as a yacht.
Image: The rescue operation. Pic: Vigili del Fuoco/PA
Image: A body bag is lifted out of the water. Pic: Reuters
Who owns the yacht?
British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among the six people missing.
The 59-year-old owner of the yacht is known as the “British Bill Gates” and has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case.
Image: Mike Lynch. Pic: Reuters
In June a US jury cleared him of all charges, which were related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
HP accused him of deliberately stating the value of the company before it was acquired by the American technology firm.
Mr Lynch was extradited to the US to face trial in May last year and spent 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco as he awaited trial on 17 charges of conspiracy and wire fraud brought by the US Department of Justice – which were later reduced to 15 charges.
He always denied any wrongdoing and was acquitted.
Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares is confirmed to be among those rescued.
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CCTV of storm which capsized superyacht
Who was on board when the boat sank?
The vessel had passengers from Britain, America and Canada, the Italian coast guard said.
Most of those on board the yacht were British, Italian news outlets have reported, claiming the other people were from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ireland and British-French citizens.
Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.
Image: Emergency workers at the scene. Pic: Reuters
Eight of those rescued were transferred to local hospitals and all were in stable condition, local media reported.
During rescue efforts divers saw “corpses through the portholes” of the wreck as they recovered the body of a man at a depth of 50m (164ft), according to Salvo Cocina, the head of the Civil Protection of Sicily
Image: The port in Palermo after the storm. Pic: Fabio La Bianca
Image: Damage caused by the storm
What do we know about the vessel?
The Bayesian was known for its unusual 75m (246ft) single mast – one of the world’s tallest made of aluminium.
She was built by Italian company Perini Navi in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020.
It was listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week, according to online charter sites.
Image: Pics: Danny Wheelz
The luxury vessel, which was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons, can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites.
It won a string of awards for its design, according to online specialist yacht sites.
The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on 14 August and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of “at anchor” according to vessel tracking site VesselFinder.
It was previously named Salute, or “health” in Italian when it flew under a Dutch flag. Its minimalist interior featured light wood with Japanese accents designed by the French designer Remi Tessier, according to descriptions on charter sites.
Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation into the sinking.
Source : Sky News
