Strong winds caused a boat with more than 20 people, including tourists, to sink on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. Four people died in the accident.
Italian sources say that the boat flipped over on Sunday evening between the towns of Sesto Calende and Arona.
After being saved, the rescue team took five people to the hospital.
Italian media reports that the people on the boat were British, Italian, and Israeli have not been proven.
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Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy region, said that the “very serious incident” was caused by bad weather.
He wrote on Facebook that tourists had hired the 16-meter-long boat.
Italian news sources say that about 25 people were on the boat to celebrate a birthday when a storm started to form over the lake and turned into a “small hurricane.” The boat quickly turned over and sank.
Everyone on board entered the water, but many passengers swam to land or were saved by other boats.
At the southern end of the lake, rescue divers and a helicopter were sent to help with the search. Several paramedics and an air ambulance also went to the scene.
Firefighters shared a video of chairs and other debris bobbing in rough water.
Switzerland and Italy share Lake Maggiore on the southern face of the Alps. It is a famous place for tourists to visit.
The weather has been bad in the area for the past day, and Italy’s weather service has warned of thunderstorms.
