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Lake Maggiore |
According to Italian authorities, four individuals lost their lives in a tragic incident over the weekend when a boat overturned in Lake Maggiore, located in the Lombardy region of northern Italy.
Among the victims were two Italian secret agents, as well as a retired Mossad agent from Israel. The boat, carrying a total of 22 passengers and two crew members, capsized due to a severe storm at approximately 7:30 pm on Sunday.
The Italian intelligence services identified the Italian agents as Claudio Alonzi, aged 62, and Tiziana Barnobi, aged 53. They had been on the boat to celebrate the birthday of one of their group members.
The Israeli Mossad agent, Shimoni Erez, aged 50, was confirmed by Israel's foreign ministry as one of the deceased. Reports suggest that the Israeli consulate in Rome is collaborating with Italian and Israeli authorities to repatriate Erez's body to Israel.
The fourth victim was Anya Bozhkova, a Russian citizen and the wife of the boat's owner, who typically rented it out to tourists.
Other individuals on board the boat were predominantly either Italian or Israeli, with some reports indicating that a few of them were affiliated with the secret services.
Fortunately, the majority of passengers managed to swim ashore between the towns of Lisanza and Piccaluga, while others were rescued by nearby boats. Five individuals were transferred to hospitals for treatment, while the remaining 15 received medical attention at the scene.