By Merve Berker
ROME (AA) – Seven people went missing after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm 20 kilometers east of Palermo in southern Italy, while 15 others were rescued, according to media reports.
The incident took place around 5 a.m. local time (0300GMT) when the 56-meters-long (184 feet) boat sank due to heavy rains and stormy weather off the coast of Porticello, 20 kilometers (over 12.4 miles) east of Palermo, media outlets reported.
Coastguards and the fire department have rescued 15 people, and a search for the remaining seven is underway, the Italian fire department said in a statement.
The British-flagged boat sank to a depth of 49 meters (nearly 161 feet), and a helicopter is also assisting with the operations, it said.
The people on the yacht were from the UK, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, France, Ireland, US and Canada.
A one-year-old child was among those rescued and taken to a children's hospital in Palermo for medical care.