tourist boat capsizes on Lake Maggiore, several missing

A tourist boat carrying more than 20 people capsized on Sunday May 28 on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, several passengers still missing in the evening, firefighters announced.

The president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, deplored a “very serious incident” caused by a “whirlwind”. Nineteen people were rescued after the boat overturned off Lisanza, fire department spokesman Luca Cari told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Divers and a helicopter are searching for “several people missing”, he added. According to the website Varese News, the body of one of the passengers was found. A video of the firefighters, published by the daily site Corriere della Serashows the helicopter hovering over rough water, where chairs and other debris were floating.

The 16-meter boat had been rented by tourists, according to Varese News. Lake Maggiore, which lies in the southern Alps, is the second largest lake in Italy and a popular tourist destination.

The World with AFP

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