Four dead and several missing in Italy after tourist boat flips

A sudden whirlwind overturned a boat carrying more than 20 tourists and crew. Photo / Vigili Del Fuoco via AP

Four people have been confirmed dead and several are missing after a tourist boat overturned on a large lake in Italy.

The 16-metre-long boat overturned on Sunday evening (local time) off Lisanza, at the southern end of the lake, when the weather suddenly turned stormy.

The boat was carrying 23 tourists and two crew and guests and capsized after it was hit by a sudden storm, said Italy’s Varese News. Many people onboard managed to swim to safety but five were taken to hospital; two in “moderately critical” condition and three for minor injuries.

#Varese, imbarcazione ribaltata nel lago Maggiore: recuperato il corpo senza vita della quarta persona, l’ultima delle quattro segnalate come disperse. Concluse le operazioni di ricerca da parte dei #vigilidelfuoco, inizia il recupero dell'imbarcazione [#29maggio 8:00] pic.twitter.com/NZAcdBe77r

— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) May 29, 2023

One person was confirmed dead shortly after the incident, however, after a period of searching using boats, divers and helicopters, fire brigade spokesperson Lucca Cari confirmed the bodies of four people had been found.

Lombardy region president Attilio Fontana said the incident was “very serious” and described the weather event as a “whirlwind”.

The boat overturned while it was on Lago Maggiore, a lake that sits across the border of Italy and Switzerland. Located on the south side of the Alps, it’s the largest lake in Southern Switzerland and the second largest in Italy.

It is a popular tourist destination and reports state both foreign and local tourists were on board, including a group of British travellers.

The boat appeared to experience significant damage. Videos from local firefighters showed fragments of wood in the water, which had broken off during the storm.

The whirlwind was part of a storm system that hit the northern region of Lombardy and forced delays at Malpensa airport.

Two people were taken 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 to be taken to hospital.