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Tourist boat sinks near Turkish coast; 1 Russian dead

ANKARA, Turkey — A tour boat with 33 Russian tourists on board capsized Tuesday near the Turkish Mediterranean coast of Alanya, killing one of the tourists, officials said.

The boat, Baba Selavi, capsized near a cave that is a tourist destination, some 50 to 100 metres (some 165 to 330 feet) from the coast, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Thirty-two of the passengers and all five crew members were either rescued or made it to the coast themselves, the coast guard said, while one person was found dead inside the boat. The local governor's office later identified the victim as Russian national Daniyar Mahitov.

Fatih Urkmezer, a local administrator for Alanya, said prosecutors were launching an investigation into the accident. The private DHA news agency said the boat went down in rough weather.

Two coast guard boats and a team of divers took part in the rescue.

HaberTurk television showed the boat turned to its side in waters near what appeared to be a rocky coast. Coast guard rafts were seen transporting people to safety.

The Associated Press


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