Seven killed, 16 missing after passenger boat sinks in Colombia

BOGOTA – At least seven people died when a passenger boat sank on a reservoir in north-western Colombia, officials sad on Monday.

Scuba divers continued searching for bodies in the city of Medellin where a tourist boat packed with more than 150 passengers capsized.

They say that 133 people were rescued, but 16 are still missing after the four-deck Almirante went down near the popular resort town of Guatapé.

Army helicopters and divers later joined the search-and-rescue operation.

Authorities were also turning their attention to the causes of the sinking and whether the company that owned the boat named El Almirante contributed to the accident.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who traveled to the scene on Sunday evening, said six people had been killed, revising down an initial death toll of nine given by officials.

More than 20 people have been taken to a hospital in Guatapé, a popular Andean resort town, known for its water sports and recreational activities.