Five people die when boat sinks after possible collision with whale in New Zealand

At least five people have died and six others have been rescued alive this Saturday after a boat sank following a possible collision with a whale off the coast of New Zealand, authorities have confirmed.

The sinking of the boat, in which eleven people were traveling, has taken place around 10.00 am (local time) in Goose Bay, about 170 kilometers southwest of the capital, Wellington, as reported by the newspaper ‘The New Zealand Herald’.

The New Zealand Police have stressed that the incident was caused by a “collision” and, although the mayor of Kaikoura, Craig Mackle, has indicated that the ship collided with a whale, the Police have indicated that they cannot confirm this at the moment.

On the other hand, the Police have confirmed that the five bodies have been recovered by divers and have stated that the process of identification of the victims, who would be part of a group of people who were on a bird watching trip in the area, is underway.