A sailboat believed to be carrying foreign tourists - including some from the UK - has capsized and sunk off the coast of Sicily in bad weather.
Fifteen people were rescued from the 49-metre sailboat - but another seven were unaccounted for, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for the Italian fire rescue service.
He said a helicopter and rescue boats from the coast guard and fire rescue service were at the scene searching for the missing.
The boat capsized at around 5am on Monday morning off Palermo.
Local media said a fierce storm, including water spouts, battered the area overnight.
The daily Il Giornale de Sicilia reported the sailboat was flying a British flag and had mostly British passengers on board, but also people form New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.
The ANSA news agency said the boat, which it said was named Bayesian, had been moored in the port at Porticello and had set sail on Sunday evening.
