The Italian prosecutors on Saturday opened an investigation into culpable shipwreck and manslaughter after the super yacht—Bayesian-- capsized and sank off the Sicily coast. Seven people on board, including UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter, were killed in the tragic incident.
Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said they were in the early stages of investigation indicating culpable shipwreck and manslaughter.
Cartosio said that the investigation will cover all the relevant aspects including the behaviour of the captain.
As many as 22 people survived the incident and they were rescued by a nearby yacht. The coastguard received an alert by around 4.32 am local time and dispatched a boat.
Cartosio also confirmed that the first body recovered was that of the boat's chef, Recaldo Thomas, followed by four of the victims, Chris Morvillo, Neda Morvillo, Jonathan Bloomer and Judy Bloomer, found on Wednesday and later tech boss Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah on Friday.
Over 120 dives were undertaken by divers amid challenging tides and low visibility underwater, he added.
We also learned that victims sought refuge on the left side of the boat as the yacht sank stern-first and then rolled onto its right side.
The prosecutor of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, suggested that the victims might have been asleep, while the others awake leading to their escape when the yacht sank.
The authorities said that a detailed investigation would take place on why the victims could not escape, whether there was any black box inside the yacht, and was is weather that led to the sinking.
Authorities also said the yacht likely sunk because of a downburst, rather than a waterspout.
What is downburst?
Accompanied by powerful thunderstorms, and complex and turbulent phenomena, a downburst is a strong downward current of air from a cumulonimbus storm cloud moving rapidly upwards and downwards.
They are powerful winds that descend from a thunderstorm and spread out quickly once they hit the ground. Downbursts are capable of producing damaging straight-line winds of over 240 km/hr (150mph), causing damages similar to tornadoes.
The rapid changes in wind speed and direction within downbursts mean they are particularly dangerous for aviation.
The full wreckage of the yacht is yet to be recovered and the autopsies of the bodies are to be performed as well.
