BUCHAREST, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Four people, including a child, died in a boat capsizing on the Danube Delta during a storm on Monday evening, according to Romanian authorities.
The boat was carrying 14 people when it overturned at around 19:30 local time (1730 GMT) in the storm on the Sulina Canal in the delta area, said the Tulcea County Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU Tulcea). A yellow weather alert had been issued for the area at the time.
The authorities launched a large-scale rescue operation involving firefighters, coast guards, ambulances and private boats nearby.
Six of the people on board wearing life jackets managed to reach the shore on their own, while four others were found in cardiac arrest and later declared dead despite resuscitation efforts. Rescuers brought the rest to shore. All the survivors were hospitalized, said ISU Tulcea Spokesperson Daniel Nastase.
An investigation is underway. Initial findings suggest the boat was overloaded and not certified for recreational use. The pilot, who survived, is under investigation for involuntary manslaughter, while the identities of the victims are yet to be confirmed, local media reported.
The Danube Delta is a popular tourist attraction in the eastern European country, especially in the summer. ■
