Sicily yacht sinking: two bodies reportedly found – updates

2.38pm BST

Several boats have left the port of Porticello to go to the site of the sinking, the PA news agency reported.

2.37pm BST

Rescuers this morning said they have breached the sailboat’s hull. A cabin has been located, but access was blocked by furniture and other materials.

A source close to the matter told Reuters that divers scouring the wreck of the luxury yacht have found the bodies of two of the six passengers who were missing.

However, the national director of Italy’s firefighting department, Giuseppe Petrone , did not confirm this report.

2.34pm BST

Reuters, citing a source, reports that one of the two bodies found by divers is a “heavily built man.”

2.20pm BST

Two bodies found inside yacht: report

Italian rescue divers have found two bodies inside the sunken luxury yacht, Reuters reported citing a source.

Six people have been missing since early Monday when the super yacht they were onboard, the Bayesian, sank in a violent storm off the coast of Sicily.

The individuals missing are tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch , his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch , non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International Jonathan Bloomer , his wife, Judy Bloomer , Chris Morvillo , a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represented Lynch and his wife, Neda Morvillo .

Updated at 2.27pm BST

1.00pm BST

Cabin located but access blocked by furniture as search efforts continue

Lorenzo Tondo reporting from Porticello

A search for six missing individuals continues in Porticello, as Carabinieri patrol boats are supporting coast guard crews and firefighters’ divers.

Rescuers say they have breached the sailboat’s hull. A cabin has been located, but access is currently blocked by furniture and other materials.

Meanwhile, investigators are questioning witnesses and survivors.

The sailboat’s captain, James Cutfield , 51, was interrogated for over two hours.

The Port Authority has opened an investigation – in addition to an ongoing investigation by the public prosecutor of Termini Imerese – to verify whether all adequate safety measures had been taken by the crew.

Updated at 1.01pm BST

12.33pm BST

Efforts to locate the missing people have been hampered by “very confined” spaces inside the wreck, fire department spokesman Luca Cari said, Reuters reported.

The Italian coast guard also said it was using a remotely operated vehicle to inspect the seabed and take underwater pictures.

11.44am BST

My colleague Matthew Weaver has a longer report on John Gummer’s interview this morning about his friend Mike Lynch.

The former Conservative cabinet minister, now Lord Deben, spoke of Lynch’s hopes following his acquittal in the US on fraud charges. He said of Lynch:

He came back to be ready to start again. He made such a contribution to Britain. His companies have put British IT in the forefront, and he was going to do it again, and we pray that he can do it again.”

You can read the full story here

Related: Mike Lynch was getting ready to ‘start again’, says former UK cabinet minister

11.33am BST

Our video team have produced a report on the emergence of CCTV showing the yacht apparently disappearing into the darkness during a sudden and severe storm.

10.31am BST

A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) have arrived in Porticello, the PA news agency reported, adding that they are expected to carry out a “preliminary assessment” of the site on Wednesday.

The Italian Coastguard said the MAIB are not involved in the search for the missing people and that it did not request assistance.

9.50am BST

Inspections of the sunken yacht’s hull have taken place this morning, the PA news agency reports.

Fire crews said they are accessing the yacht through natural entrances. The Italian Coastguard has said that remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search.

9.29am BST

The Conservative politician John Selwyn Gummer has been interviewed by former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson on her morning show on Times Radio about his friend Mike Lynch .

Gummer, who now sits in the House of Lords as Baron Deben, said it had been “the beginning of a new life” for Lynch following his acquittal on fraud charges in the US in June.

Gummer said it was “disgraceful” that the software mogul had been extradited on what the peer described as “trumped-up charges” and said following his acquittal he had been hoping to campaign against “one-sided rules” that had meant he faced trial in the US.

The politician, who lived near Lynch, said he “carried his immense knowledge and learning lightly” and “it was a joy to have him in his community”.

Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch , is also missing and Gummer paid tribute to Lynch’s family saying they had supported him through the court case.

The others missing are Jonathan Bloomer , a non-executive director at Lynch’s company Autonomy, his wife, Judy Bloomer , Chris Morvillo , one of Lynch’s lawyer’s and his wife, Neda Morvillo . Gummer said it was typical of Lynch to show his gratitude to those who had helped him by inviting them on holiday.

Updated at 11.24am BST

9.13am BST

Search for six missing people resumes in Italy

Divers resumed a search this morning for survivors after a yacht sank off the coast of Sicily early Monday.

Six people including the software tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter, Hannah, remain unaccounted for, as rescue teams have struggled to reach inside the yacht.

A Reuters photographer saw coast guard rescue vessels leave Porticello early today to head for the site of the incident.

Updated at 11.41am BST