Boat full of tourists capsizes on Italy lake with one dead and three missing (Picture: Twitter)
Boat full of tourists capsizes on Italy lake with one dead and three missing (Picture: Twitter)

Four people have died after a tourist boat capsized in a storm on Italy’s Lake Maggiore.

People were celebrating a birthday on the 16-metre-long vessel in the Lombardy region on Sunday.

At least 19 survivors managed to swim to shore without serious injury, fire brigade said on Twitter.

Italian firefighters said there were 25 people on board, adding that the wreck was found by its divers at a depth of 16 metres.

epa10661467 A handout photo made available by the press office of Vigili del Fuoco (VVF), the Italian National Fire Brigade, shows divers of the fire brigade during a search and rescue operation in Lake Maggiore after a tourist boat capsized near Lisanza (Varese), northern Italy, 29 May 2023. At least four people have died and twenty others were rescued after a boat capsized and sank in Lake Maggiore due to bad weather in the evening of 28 May, emergency services said. EPA/VIGILI DEL FUOCO HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
Divers during a search and rescue operation in Lake Maggiore (Picture: EPA)
Boat full of British tourists capsizes on Italy lake with one dead and three missing Lago Maggiore
Boats, divers and a helicopter were deployed to help rescue the capsized passengers (Picture: Twitter)

Police did not immediately release the names of the dead, but said they included an Italian man and an Italian woman, an Israeli man and a Russian woman, who was part of the live-aboard crew.

Two people were rushed to hospital in ‘moderately critical’ condition, three were taken in ‘not very critical’ condition and 15 were treated at the scene and did not need further treatment.

Rescue operations are continuing with divers, boats, a helicopter and 118 medical vehicles on the scene.

Firefighter video showed pieces of wood floating in the lake as a helicopter flew overhead.

The whirlwind was part of a storm system that hit Lombardy on Sunday, forcing delays at Malpensa airport.

epa10661468 A handout photo made available by the press office of Vigili del Fuoco (VVF), the Italian National Fire Brigade, shows divers of the fire brigade during a search and rescue operation in Lake Maggiore after a tourist boat capsized near Lisanza (Varese), northern Italy, 29 May 2023. At least four people have died and twenty others were rescued after a boat capsized and sank in Lake Maggiore due to bad weather in the evening of 28 May, emergency services said. EPA/VIGILI DEL FUOCO HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
Rescuers have been working overnight after the boat capsized (Picture: EPA)

The alarm was raised after passengers onboard a nearby boat saw people in the wate, La Repubblica reports.

Lake Maggiore is the second-largest lake in Italy and a popular destination for British tourists.

The President of Lombardy Attilio Fontana said in a statement: ‘Unfortunately there is news of some missing people. A whirlwind caused a very serious accident.

‘The firefighters of the Milan diving unit are at work on the spot together with the guard coast, to the air rescue and to the ambulances of Areu.

‘I am following with apprehension the updates of the rescue teams on the spot which I thank.’

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: ‘We are in contact with authorities in Italy after a boat accident and are ready to provide consular assistance to any British nationals involved.’

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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