Six drown after tour boat capsizes off Rio de Janeiro coast


SAO PAULO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Six people drowned after a tour boat capsized off the coast of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, a spokesman for the Fire Department said Monday.

According to local authorities, a strong storm caused the boat carrying 14 people to sink on Sunday afternoon in Guanabara Bay, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Emergency teams recovered six bodies. Another six passengers survived and two are still missing, including a three-year-old boy, said Leandro Monteiro, commander of the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department.

Divers from the Fire Department searched for the missing with the help of helicopters and jet skis.

The boat had reportedly been hired by families for a leisurely afternoon sailing in Guanabara Bay.

In a statement, the Brazilian Navy said it opened an investigation to determine why the vessel was unable to withstand the storm and sank as it sailed between Governador Island, where the Rio de Janeiro international airport is located, and Paqueta Island.

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