Bayesian yacht: Body found with 'several Brits missing' as tornado sinks luxury 180ft yacht off coast near Palermo in Italy

Four British tourists are believed to be still unaccounted for as the Palermo port authority announced this morning (Monday 19 August) they are "looking for people alive" as the hunt for the survivors continues. A further 15 people, including a child, have been rescued after the sailboat with 22 people on board sank in the early hours of Monday near the Sicilian capital Palermo.

A one-year-old child was rescued by coast guards on patrol boats and firefighters along with 15 others earlier today. The baby, 1, was rushed to the nearby Children's Hospital of Palermo with its mother after they were found. Citizens from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and France were also onboard alongside the British nationals, say Italian media.

A body was seen being pulled from the water by emergency services on Monday morning, while Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service, said eight people are in hospital. The 15 people rescued are all in stable condition, news agency Adnkronos reported.

The yacht is believed to have been flooded by water after a tornado struck it. The yacht was hit off the coast of Porticello, near Palermo, at around 5am on Monday morning.

The yacht is believed to be called Bayesian and sails under a British flag, according to a Facebook post. An expert team of divers have already been able to locate the hull, according to Italian media. It was discovered 160ft below the water around half a mile from the coast. Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation to look into what had gone wrong.

It comes just a week after a £1million yacht sank near Mallorca with five people including a child onboard. Terrifying footage showed an entire half of the vessel submerging down into the sea off Camp de Mar in Andratx. It prompted an urgent rescue mission with all five being rushed back to land safely.