Tragic shipwreck off the coast of Sicily leaves seven missing

A British-flagged sailing boat with 22 people on board sank off the coast of Palermo in Sicily early Monday morning. Seven people are missing. Italian media report that the Italian coast guard and firefighters successfully rescued 15 people, including a child, from the wrecked ship.

The sailing boat, which was caught in a cyclone and rough seas at sunrise, was carrying a diverse group of passengers, including two Anglo-French nationals, an Irish national, a New Zealander and a Sri Lankan. The rest of the passengers were British. According to the Adnkronos news agency, all 15 rescued people are currently in a stable condition.

Fire service divers are currently intensively searching the area around the wreck, which now lies at a depth of about 50 meters and half a mile offshore. The British Foreign Office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident.

(With contributions from agencies.)