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CatastropheItaly

Italy: Tourist boat overturns on Lake Maggiore, killing 4

May 29, 2023

A sudden, violent storm overturned a boat in northern Italy with over 20 people on board. Two Italian intelligence agents were reportedly among the four people who died in the incident.

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An image released by Italian firefighters shows a rescue helicopter hovering over choppy waters where a tourist boat sank
Footage from rescue teams showed choppy waters and floating debris where the tourist boat sank on Lake MaggioreImage: Vigili Del Fuoco/AP/picture alliance

Four people died on Italy's Lake Maggiore after their boat overturned and sank, firefighters confirmed on Monday.

Two Italian intelligence agents and one retired Israeli agent were among the four dead, authorities said on Tuesday.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of one Israeli citizen, saying he was a retiree from the Israeli security forces.

A government official overseeing Italy's secret services, Alfredo Mantovano, has expressed condolences for the deaths of two agents, a man and a woman, who were on board.

The fourth victim was identified as a Russian woman who was part of the two-person crew.

What do we know about the accident?

The accident took place on Sunday at the popular lake in northern Italy located in the Lombardy region.

Around 24 passengers and crew were on board the tourist boat when it was suddenly caught up in a storm, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The violent change in weather caused a whirlwind to appear, causing the 16-meter (52-foot) long boat to capsize, Lombardy region president Attilio Fontana said.

The powerful winds caused the ship to quickly sink, taking at least one victim down with it, according to local reports.

Footage posted by firefighters showed chairs, wood and other debris floating in the choppy waters where the boat sank. Three bodies were recovered on Sunday, while the fourth victim was found early Monday.

The 20 survivors either managed to swim to shore or were rescued by nearby boats.

Italy battered by extreme weather

The storm system that caused the fatal accident also caused disruptions across the Lombardy region, causing delays at Milan's Malpensa Airport.

Lake Maggiore is located on the southern side of the Alps and is the second largest lake in Italy.

The deadly incident comes on the heels of devastating floods that hit Italy's Emilia-Romagna region earlier in May, killing at least 14 people and displacing tens of thousands.

rs/kb (AP, AFP, dpa)