A tourist boat sank near Medellín, Colombia on Sunday, June 25, leaving 7 dead and 13 missing, according to Carlos Ivan Marquez, the head of the National Disaster Risk Management Unit.
Earlier, Grasswire had reported that 10 people had died.
The boat was carrying about 150 people when it capsized at the Guatapé Reservoir, located about 80 km (50 miles) east of Medellín in the Colombian department of Antioquia.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos stated he deployed the country’s Air Force to help recover any survivors.
Frente a emergencia en Guatapé, @FuerzaAereaCol y organismos de socorro atienden situación. Estamos prestos a brindar asistencia requerida. https://t.co/HYYHQU2Mz7
— Juan Manuel Santos (@JuanManSantos) June 25, 2017
#AEstaHora Un Helicóptero ÁNGEL #FAC procede hacia Guatapé en apoyo emergencia de naufragio de embarcación con alrededor de 150 personas. pic.twitter.com/8aLs2zmulB
— FuerzaAéreaColombian (@FuerzaAereaCol) June 25, 2017
Victoria Eugencia Ramirez, Antioquia’s Secretary of Government, said the boat sank at 2 p.m., but it “just submerged” and did not crash into anything.
A survivor who was rescued from the boat said in an interview that there were no life jackets, and that it was sinking so fast the passengers on the lower deck were unable to get off the boat.
Accidente de embarcación con decenas de turistas en la represa de Guatapé https://t.co/FcoioHqZ88 #LAFM pic.twitter.com/m1YtmGVYcG
— LA FM (@lafm) June 25, 2017
