One person is dead and six are missing after a superyacht carrying mostly British people was caught in a tornado and sank off the coast of Palermo, according to Italian media.

Fifteen people were rescued from the 49-meter (160-foot) sailboat after the disaster, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for the Italian fire rescue service.

The superyacht capsized off Palermo, in the north of the Italian island of Sicily, at around 5am local time (4am UK time).

The vessel was flying a British flag, and other than the people from the UK, other nationalities were a New Zealander, a Sri Lankan, two French citizens and an Irish citizen.

A one-year-old child was among those rescued and was taken to a Palermo children’s hospital for treatment.

Mr Cari said a helicopter and rescue boats from the coast guard and fire rescue service were at the scene searching for the missing.

The ANSA news agency in Italy said the boat, which it said was named “Bayesian”, had been moored in the port at Porticello and had set sail on Sunday evening.

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The Superyacht Times describes the vessel as being one of the largest superyachts in the world.

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