One person is confirmed dead while 14 others suffered varying degrees of injury after two boats collided with each other off the northeastern coast of Brazil on Monday, April 7.
The incident occurred at around 18:30 local time on Monday when the boats Lipe Lara and Safira struck each other just off the popular tourist destination of Morro de São Paulo on Tinharé Island.
One of the survivors later recounted that the collision was sudden with no prior warning, as it had occurred in near-darkness. One boat ended up partially submerged as a result of the incident but was later refloated.
The injured survivors, including two in serious condition, were pulled out of the water by the crew of a responding ambulance boat and were later brought to various hospitals. Six remain under observation while the rest have been cleared for discharge.
The Brazilian Navy and local police are investigating the collision.
Although navy officials said that the probable causes of the incident have not yet been identified, they assured that both vessels had complied with current safety regulations.