Intelligence agents among those killed in lake boating disaster

Italy: Authorities respond to capsized boat on Lake Maggiore

Two Italian intelligence agents and a retired Israeli security forces officer were among the victims of the boating disaster on Lake Maggiore at the weekend.

Local officials have revealed that among the four victims of the tragedy in northern Italy were Claudio Alonzi, 62, and Tiziana Barnobi, 53, with the Israeli identified as Shimoni Erez, 50.

The BBC reports that the fourth person to die was Anya Bozhkova, the 50-year-old Russian wife of the boat’s captain, as the vessel with more than 20 tourists and crew onboard sank in strong winds.

Italian news outlets reported that the boat had been carrying about 25 people who were celebrating a birthday when a storm developed over the lake, later turning into a “small hurricane”.

The 16m (52ft) boat capsized and sank between the towns of Sesto Calende and Arona with all onboard falling into the water.

Many of the passengers swam ashore or were rescued by other boats as rescue divers and a helicopter scrambled to help with the search at the lake’s southern end.

Several ambulances and an air ambulance attended the scene, while a video shared by firefighters showed chairs and other debris floating in choppy waters.

Five people were taken to hospital.

Lake Maggiore – on the south side of the Alps – is a popular destination for tourists, although the area has recently experienced poor weather, with the Italian meteorological service warning of thunderstorms.

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