One body has been found but six people are still missing after a superyacht carrying mostly British passengers sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily.

Some 15 people were rescued from the 55m (180ft) vessel, including a one-year-old English girl and her mother.

Here’s everything we know about the sinking of the luxury vessel so far.

Follow live updates: People missing after superyacht sinks

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

What might have caused the sinking?

The British-flagged luxury vessel, named Bayesian, capsized at around 4.30am local time off Palermo, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.

It sank with 22 people on board consisting of 12 passengers and a crew of 10, according to the Italian coast guard.

Waterspouts, essentially tornados which form over water, were seen as powerful winds which battered the area overnight, local media said.

What are waterspouts?

Waterspouts typically occur during thunderstorms and can develop very rapidly, within minutes.

Their spin generally reaches wind speeds between 75-200mph, but can reach as high as over 300mph.

They can travel at around 10-20mph typically but can reach greater speeds on occasions, making them difficult to avoid – especially in something as slow-moving as a yacht.

Who owns the yacht?

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among the six people missing.

The 59-year-old owner of the yacht is known as the “British Bill Gates” and has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case.

In June a US jury cleared him of all charges, which were related to the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

HP accused him of deliberately stating the value of the company before it was acquired by the American technology firm.

Mr Lynch was extradited to the US to face trial in May last year and spent 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco as he awaited trial on 17 charges of conspiracy and wire fraud brought by the US Department of Justice – which were later reduced to 15 charges.

He always denied any wrongdoing and was acquitted.

Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares is confirmed to be among those rescued.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Who was on board when the boat sank?

The vessel had passengers from Britain, America and Canada, the Italian coast guard said.

Most of those on board the yacht were British, Italian news outlets have reported, claiming the other people were from New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ireland and British-French citizens.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Repubblica stated.

Mr Lynch’s lawyer was among those missing, Italy’s civil protection said.

Eight of those rescued were transferred to local hospitals and all were in stable condition, local media reported.

During rescue efforts, divers saw “corpses through the portholes” of the wreck as they recovered the body of a man at a depth of 50m (164ft), according to Salvo Cocina, the head of the Civil Protection of Sicily.

The body is believed to be that of the vessel’s chef, according to local media.

What do we know about the vessel?

The Bayesian was known for its unusual 75m (246ft) single mast – one of the world’s tallest made of aluminium.

She was built by Italian company Perini Navi in 2008 and was last refitted in 2020.

It was listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week, according to online charter sites.

The luxury vessel, which was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons, can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites.

It won a string of awards for its design, according to online specialist yacht sites.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on 14 August and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of “at anchor” according to vessel tracking site VesselFinder.

The Bayesian previously travelled to other parts of Sicily before its last sighting off the coast of the port of Porticello.

Yesterday the boat was seen off the coast of Cefalu before it travelled towards Porticello, MarineTraffic data shows.

In the days before the yacht travelled around four of the Aeolian islands – just north of Sicily.

It was previously named Salute, or “health” in Italian when it flew under a Dutch flag. Its minimalist interior featured light wood with Japanese accents designed by the French designer Remi Tessier, according to descriptions on charter sites.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation into the sinking.

Related posts:

One in five testing positive for COVID in Indian state as court says officials should face ‘murder charges’ Climate forecast: 40% chance world will hit 1.5C threshold in next five years Poland accuses Belarus of trying to incite violence as migrants attempt to cross border Superyacht sales soar thanks to pandemic and growing numbers of billionaires Ukraine exploiting Russian forces’ ‘lack of manoeuvre’ and inflicting heavy losses, MOD says Woman arrested after tearing off ‘large part of skin’ of partner’s genitals North Koreans ordered to protect portraits of Kim Jong Un from storm ‘Here to make Hamas pay for what they did’: Inside the Israeli ground operation in Gaza Israeli PM suspends minister who said dropping nuclear bomb on Gaza ‘one of the possibilities’ Adidas Euro 2024 ball has microchip able to help referees make handball decisions Four killed and at least 21 injured in nursing home fire Armed highway thieves steal 40 tonnes of avocados