Five dead in ‘whale attack’

A boat with 11 on board has capsized off Kaikoura, New Zealand, according to local authorities. Police described the accident as an “unprecedented” and “tragic” event, confirming five dead, while six others were rescued from the waters.

Local mayor blamed the accident on a sneaky whale, which allegedly tipped the boat, striking it from beneath.

“We have an upturned boat tipped over by a whale from what we can understand, come up from underneath. We’ve shut the harbor down so that they can carry on working,” Kaikoura mayor Craig Mackle told broadcaster RNZ. Bad weather has been already ruled out as a potential cause of the event, as the sea conditions were “perfect, flat” at the time of the sinking, according to the official.

Footage circulating online shows some of the survivors sitting atop the overturned boat.