The Latest: Santos: 6 dead, 31 missing in Colombia capsizing


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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The Latest on the sinking of a tourist boat in Medellin, Colombia (all times local):

10:05 p.m.

President Juan Manuel Santos has arrived at the Guatape reservoir in Colombia where a tourist boat capsized and said that 122 people were either rescued or found their way to shore. He said that six people had died and another 31 were missing.

Rescuers including firefighters from nearby cities and air force pilots were searching for survivors at the reservoir near Medellin where the El Almirante sank with about 160 passengers on board. A flotilla of recreational boats and jet skis rushed to the scene, pulling people from the boat as it went down and avoiding an even deadlier tragedy.

"Nobody really knows what happened," said Santos, adding that naval officials were brought in to carry out an investigation.

Earlier, Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster response agency in Antioquia state, had said that according to a preliminary nine people had been killed and around 28 were missing. The discrepancies in the number of fatalities could not be immediately reconciled.

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6:40 p.m.

The head of the disaster response agency in Colombia's Antioquia state says that nine people are dead and around 28 missing after a multi-story tourist boat capsized near the city of Medellin.

Margarita Moncada said that 99 people were rescued immediately and another 40 managed to find shore on their own and were in good health.

A rescue operation was underway in the Guatape reservoir where the accident took place on Sunday. Medellin's mayor said firefighters and scuba divers were heading to the town. A flotilla of recreational boats rushed to the scene to pull people from the vessel.

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5:10 p.m.

The head of Colombia's police says that three people have died and 30 are missing after a tourist boat with about 150 people on board capsized near Medellin.

Gen. Jorge Nieto told Blu Radio on Sunday that authorities are still in the process of identifying the victims.

A rescue operation was underway in the Guatape reservoir. Medellin's mayor said firefighters and scuba divers were heading to the town. A flotilla of recreational boats rushed to the scene to pull people from the vessel.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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