ZAGREB, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Three Czech citizens were confirmed dead, and another person went missing after a catamaran collided with a sailboat on Sunday off the coastal city of Split, in southern Croatia.
Croatian authorities said the collision involved a domestic passenger catamaran carrying 118 passengers and seven crew members and a French-flagged sailboat carrying Czech tourists. The accident occurred in the Split maritime zone, between the islands of Solta and Brac.
According to a statement of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, the accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT), after which the sailboat sank.
Zeljko Kustera, master of the Split Harbour Master's Office, told local media that an underwater drone from the Croatian Navy has located the sunken sailboat at a depth of over 50 meters. Retrieval operations are scheduled to begin on Monday morning.
Four other Czech nationals survived the accident. Three sustained minor injuries, while one remains hospitalized but in stable condition, Croatian Radiotelevision reported, citing sources from Split hospital.
An investigation into the cause of the collision is underway.
