At least six people have died and 15 people are missing after a tourist boat carrying about 150 people sank in a reservoir in north-west Colombia, near the city of Medellín.
In the absence of a passenger list, authorities have been relying on family members and survivors to report their whereabouts. Overnight they reduced to 15 the tally of people missing, down from an earlier count of twice that number.
Of the 134 people who survived the crash on the Guatapé-El Peñol reservoir, three remain in hospital but are out of danger, said Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster relief agency in Antioquia state.
Videos circulating on social media showed panicked passengers running to the top deck of the multi-storey ferry as it sank. Other recreational vessels rushed to the distressed boat, which was reportedly loaded to capacity as holidaymakers took advantage of a long weekend.
.@FuerzaAereaCol apoya a esta hora rescate de personas de embarcación que naufragó en Guatapé, Antioquia #FAC pic.twitter.com/f5yowjBcMe
— FuerzaAéreaColombian (@FuerzaAereaCol) June 25, 2017
Witnesses told the El Tiempo newspaper that the boat, named El Almirante – the Admiral – broke in two and that the captain told all the passengers to move to one side of the vessel.
Rescued passengers said they had not been provided with life vests when they boarded the vessel.
Two residents of Guatapé told Blu Radio that the same boat had sunk about three months ago when it was tied at the dock. “They fixed it and it kept working normally,” one of the residents told the radio network.
The city of Medellín and the Colombian Red Cross sent rescue crews to the area. It was unclear if any foreigners were on the vessel.
Guatapé is a popular holiday spot for Colombian and foreign tourists attracted by water sports on the reservoir and rock climbing on the El Peñol rock face.
