Sicily: 1 dead, 6 missing after whirlwind sinks yacht

One body has been found but six other people are still missing after a luxury yacht was struck by a whirlwind and sank off the coast of Sicily, Italy's coast guard said on Monday morning.

"One body was located in the wreck but not yet recovered," a spokesman told the AFP news agency, adding that the 56-meter (183-foot) superyacht had sunk to a depth of about 50 meters.

What we know so far

Earlier, Italian media reported that the vessel, called Bayesian and flying the British flag, capsized after getting caught in a severe storm at sunrise and being struck by a waterspout, a mini-tornado which can form over a body of water.

Of the 22 people on board, including ten crew members, 15 have been rescued and ten hospitalized, including a one-year old child. Those in hospital are reported to be in a stable condition.

But four Britons, two Americans and one Canadian are still missing, among them one crew member.

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on August 14 and was last seen east of Palermo on Sunday evening with a navigation status of "at anchor," according to tracking app Vesselfinder.

Constructed by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008, it has an aluminum hull and can reach a maximum speed of 15 knots, according to specialist yacht websites consulted by the Reuters news agency.

mf/rc (Reuters, AFP)