ROME: Rescue workers searched Sunday for people feared missing after a boat carrying tourists overturned on Lake Maggiore in strong winds, authorities said.
Nineteen people were safe after the vessel overturned off Lisanza, right at the southern end of the lake in northern Italy, fire brigade spokesman Luca Cari told AFP.
But rescue divers and a helicopter were searching for “some people reported to be missing”, he said.
The body of one of the passengers had been recovered, the local Varese News website said.
The president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said the “very serious incident” had been “caused by a whirlwind”.
The vessel was a 16-metre long boat that had been hired by tourists, he said on Facebook.
The boat had been carrying 25 people, including 23 tourists and two crew members, Varese News said.
A firefighters’ video showed a search and rescue helicopter flying over choppy waters, where chairs and other debris could be seen floating.
Lake Maggiore, which lies on the south side of the Alps, is the second largest lake in Italy and a popular tourist destination.
