Israeli man among 4 killed as tourist boat overturns in Italy

An Israeli man was among the four people killed when a boat carrying tourists overturned on Italy’s Lake Maggiore in strong winds, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The ministry said the family of the man, who was aged around 50, had been informed. He was not immediately publicly identified.

The boat tipped over Sunday off Lisanza, at the southern end of the lake in the north of the country, after the weather suddenly turned stormy, Italy’s fire brigade said.

“The bodies of four people have been recovered,” fire brigade spokesman Luca Cari said Monday.

Two of the other victims were Italian — a man and a woman — while the fourth was Russian woman, the local Varese News website said. Initial reports that some of the tourists involved were British were denied by an embassy official.

The president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said Sunday that a “whirlwind” had caused the 16-meter (52-foot) long boat to overturn.

Around 20 survivors were rescued by passing boats or swam to shore, Italian media said.

The boat had been carrying both Italian and foreign tourists, and it sank quickly, according to reports.

Unconfirmed reports said the boat had been hired by a group to celebrate a birthday.

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.