By Nurat Uthman
A boat carrying more than 20 persons, including tourists, capsized due to severe winds, resulting in at least three fatalities on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy,
According to several reports, one person is still unaccounted for.
Local Italian media, the boat capsized on Sunday night between the villages of Sesto Calende and Arona.
While the search for those reported missing continued, the Italian fire department stated that 19 persons were safe.
Five people were taken to hospital after being rescued. Unconfirmed reports in Italian media say the boat’s passengers were British, Italian and Israeli.
Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, said the “very serious incident” was due to bad weather.
The boat was 16m (52ft) long and had been hired by tourists, he said on Facebook.
According to Italian news outlets, the boat had been carrying around 25 people who were celebrating a birthday when a storm developed over the lake, later turning into a “small hurricane”. The boat capsized and sank soon afterwards.
Everyone onboard went into the water but many of the passengers swam ashore or were rescued by other boats.
Rescue divers and a helicopter scrambled to help with the search at the lake’s southern end, and several ambulances and an air ambulance attended the scene.
A video shared by firefighters showed chairs and other debris floating in choppy waters
Lake Maggiore – on the south side of the Alps – is shared by Italy and Switzerland, and is a popular destination for tourists.
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