“Deeply saddened”: Employer of New Zealand lawyer Ayla Ronald speaks out after tragic yacht sinking

In a statement, Clifford Chance said they were “shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic incident” and their thoughts were with the Morvillos' families.

“Our top priority is to support the family and our colleague Ayla Ronald, who fortunately survived the incident together with her partner.

“Our thoughts are with the other passengers and crew and all those affected. We have no further comment at this time. We and the families ask that their wish for privacy be respected during this time.”

Ronald's father Lin Ronald told the Herald Yesterday, his daughter said she was “very shocked” by the tragedy.

He said previously The daily telegraph His daughter sent him a text message saying: “There are dead people, but she and her partner are alive.”

Ayla Ronald comes from Christchurch and studied at the University of Otago.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) confirmed that two New Zealanders were involved in the accident and both were uninjured.

Divers continue to search for six missing people

Rescue workers and divers continue to search for the six people still missing and are concentrating on breaking into the yacht.

The local coast guard told media that the group was believed to still be inside the yacht, which sank 49 meters to the seabed after a tornado struck the area and reportedly capsized it.

Karsten Borner, the captain of a nearby boat, told Reuters that when the storm hit, he turned on the engine to keep his vessel under control and avoid a collision with the Bayesian.

When the storm passed, he noticed that the luxury yacht had disappeared.

His crew then found several survivors on a life raft, including three seriously injured people, and took them on board.

The public prosecutor's office in the nearby town of Termini Imerese is investigating how the tragedy could have happened.