Intelligence personnel holding secret meetings on board the ship? 21 people falling into the lake, 3 deaths Israel | Italy | Intelligence personnel
The capsizing of an Italian cruise ship is still fermenting.
On May 28th local time, a tourist boat carrying 23 people capsized in Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, with 19 people rescued and 4 missing.
On May 29th, the Italian fire emergency department confirmed that the incident resulted in four deaths, including two Italian intelligence personnel, a former member of the Israeli security forces, and a Russian woman.
The Italian security department stated that two of the deceased were Italians, a 62 year old male and a 53 year old female, both of whom worked for the country's intelligence agency. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that one of the deceased was in his fifties and had previously served in the Israeli security forces. According to media reports, the fourth victim was a 50 year old Russian woman who was the companion of the captain of the ship at the time of the incident. Some people on board were attending a birthday party.
A secret meeting between agents?
According to reports, the incident occurred at Lake Maggiore, a tourist destination located at the border of Italy and Switzerland. The captain of the incident was about 16 meters long and was rented by tourists.
According to reports, around 5 pm local time on May 28th, the weather suddenly became worse, but the ship continued its cruise. At around 7 pm, the ship capsized due to a fierce storm, and everyone fell into the water. About 14 people successfully swam to the shore, and 5 others were rescued.
The prosecution is investigating how the ship capsized and why it did not return to the dock under adverse weather conditions.
On May 30th, multiple foreign media reported that the capsizing of an Italian cruise ship resulted in the deaths of two Italians, a Russian woman, and an Israeli man.
According to reports, the two Italian victims were 62 year old Claudio Alonzi and 53 year old Tiziana Barnobi, both intelligence agents; A 50 year old Israeli man named Shimoni Erez, who died, was a retired member of the Israeli security forces; The Russian woman who died was the captain's wife Anya Bozhkova. The captain himself survived.
It is understood that on the day of the incident, these people celebrated their birthday on a cruise ship. The Italian security department also mentioned in a statement that the two deceased intelligence personnel were "attending a lively gathering at the time" to celebrate the birthday of a colleague, but this statement was questioned by some netizens.
It is reported that Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy and a tourist destination on the southern foothills of the Alps. Lake Maggiore is located between Lombardy and Piedmont in Italy, with its northern end located within Switzerland. Some netizens mentioned that in Lombardy, there are several military and civilian companies, while Switzerland is considered a "transit country" by many intelligence personnel. In addition, there are reports that some people on the ship have apartments in these places. The British Broadcasting Corporation also mentioned in its report that although there is a saying of "celebration", several Italian media outlets believe that the cruise ship event was a "secret working conference" between Italian and Israeli agents.
Overcrowded cruise ships and "disappearing" survivors
At present, prosecutor Carlo Nocerino has started investigating the cause of the accident. According to him, there are 13 Italian agents and 8 Israeli agents on the cruise ship, with only the captain and his wife not engaged in intelligence work.
"This ship is currently at the bottom of the lake and it may take two to three days to salvage it," said Nocerino.
Nocerino also told reporters that the cruise ship could only accommodate 15 people, but at the time of the incident, there were 23 people on board, and "8 more people" were added. Analysts pointed out that in adverse weather conditions, the "overcrowded" cruise ship made it more difficult to control the ship.
According to the report, local judges are currently investigating why the number of people on the ship exceeded its capacity at that time. Nocerino stated that in addition, they will also investigate whether the insurance of the cruise ship complies with regulations and whether the relevant safety measures taken are in place.
It is worth noting that public opinion has also focused on the survivors of this incident. According to reports from Italian media, it appears that survivors quickly left the area after the incident. "They quickly packed up their belongings, checked out of the hotel, and those who went to the hospital for treatment also left quickly," the report said
"This story has elements of a spy novel, but of course, as many things are still uncertain, speculation may continue," the report said.
