Earlier today we heard from Italian prosecutors at length as they revealed details of the early stages of their investigation into the Sicily yacht tragedy.

They stressed the case required "careful consideration" and it could be some time until we learn the full official account of the events which led to sinking of the Bayesian. Here's what we were told this morning:

• Italian prosecutors have started an initial investigation and are considering possible culpable shipwreck and manslaughter
• Officials stressed they are not specifically investigating any individuals at the moment
• It was also confirmed that a body recovered yesterday was Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of Mike Lynch
• They died alongside five others when their yacht was capsized by what prosecutors believe may have been a downburst
• The weather phenomenon results in powerful winds being projected downwards from a storm and can be highly destructive
• Rescue workers had to make more than 120 separate dives down to the wrecked boat and were praised for their efforts to recover the dead
• Early discussions have taken place about resurfacing the vessel, which is currently 50m below the surface

We are now ending our live coverage. This page was edited by Barbara Tasch and Sean Seddon, and was written by Stefano Fasano and Seher Asaf.

Image source, PA Media

Tributes were paid to Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah after divers recovered their bodies in the wreckage of the yacht.

Friends remembered Hannah for her "warm and beautiful soul", while teachers praised her "sky-high intellectual ability".

Lynch was described by a close friend as "the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known".

A family spokesperson said they were "devastated, in shock" and asked for "their privacy be respected at this time of unspeakable grief".

Ben Rich
BBC Weather

Image source, Getty Images

There was speculation this week, based on a witness account, that the Bayesian was sunk by a waterspout, a type of tornado which forms over water.

However, prosecutors now believe a different weather event may be to blame: a downburst. So what are they?

Thunderstorms are powerful, complex and turbulent phenomena, with air inside a cumulonimbus storm cloud moving rapidly upwards and downwards.

A downburst occurs when air races downward from the base of the cloud, producing a powerful wind gust that blows towards the ground. When it hits the ground the wind spreads out, blowing unpredictably outwards in different directions.

Downbursts are usually short-lived, lasting for a matter of minutes, and can be confused with tornadoes or waterspouts because the damage they cause can be similar.

The rapid changes of wind speed and direction within downbursts mean they are particularly dangerous for aviation.

They have been blamed for a number of air crashes over the years, although the risk tends to be well forecast by meteorologists allowing pilots to avoid them.

Image source, PA Media

We've just heard more details about the sinking of the superyacht as prosecutors and security forces who took part in the search and rescue operations gathered for a press conference in Termini Imerese, Sicily.

Here's a roundup of what they said:

• Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said they were in the early stages of investigating a so-called "crime hypothesis" of culpable shipwreck and manslaughter
• Cartosio also confirmed that the first body recovered was that of the boat's chef, Recaldo Thomas, followed by four of the victims, Chris Morvillo, Neda Morvillo, Jonathan Bloomer and Judy Bloomer, found on 21 August and later tech boss Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah on August 23
• Palermo fire brigade commander said over 120 dives were undertaken by divers, adding that it was an "intense bout of work" due to low visibility underwater
• We also learned that victims sought refuge in the left side of the boat as the yacht sank stern-first and then rolled onto its right side
• The inquiry will be looking into why the crew who survived were able to get into the lifeboat but the passengers couldn't and also how quickly the rescuers arrived at the scene
• Cartosio also confirmed that the captain and crew were not required to stay in Italy for the duration of the investigation
• Authorities also said the yacht likely sunk because of a downburst, rather than a waterspout

Image source, EPA

Another question asked at the press conference focused on whether the crew attempted to sound the alarm to alert others in the minutes between the vessel sinking and them getting on the lifeboat.

An official on the panel says he can't answer that question at the moment, but it's something they will be looking into.

"Everything happened in an unexpected way," he says, adding that the situation worsened in a matter of seconds.

Questions about alarms and signals will be examined closely, he says.

"It's important to analyse the behaviour of the captain in this respect," he says, but adds he can't respond to the question with certainty.

Let's bring you some more lines from the press conference

Asked why the captain of the yacht was not being kept in the country to answer key questions raised by the inquiry, Cartosio says a recent legal reform only allows detaining someone if there's evidence of "probable responsibility".

He says they are "evaluating and assessing all elements" adding they were requesting "maximum cooperation" from everyone involved.

He adds it could be a case of manslaughter, but "we can only establish that if you give us time to investigate".

The press conference by Italian authorities in Termini Imerse, Sicily about the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian has now ended.

We heard from Chief Prosecutor of Termini Imerese Ambrogio Cartosio, Deputy Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano Coastguard commander Raffaele Macauda and other officials.

Stay with us as we bring you more updates, reaction and analysis.

Stefano Fasano
Reporting from Sicily

Deputy Prosecutor Cammarano says that the Italian Air Force has confirmed that a downburst is the most likely cause for the sinking, rather than a waterspout.

He also adds that autopsies will be conducted, but that no date has been set yet.

Stefano Fasano
Reporting from Sicily

Image source, PA Media

Cartosio explains that it is plausible the crimes described (culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter) may have been committed, but it will be necessary to determine who is potentially responsible before pressing charges.

“The media operate on a lightning-fast timetable, but a prosecutor's timetable is longer because it requires careful consideration,” he says.

His deputy, Cammarano, confirms that one person was on watch in the cockpit at the time of the accident.

Local officials are also asked about the location of the bodies in the yacht, as most bodies were found in a particular part of the ship - does it imply the passengers tried to save themselves?

"There is no certainty of the behaviour of the passengers on board, but it's probable that they tried to escape, but we have no real details about that," an official on the panel says.

He says there should be some evidence emerging from the wreckage retrieval location.

Officials are also asked why passengers were not able to flee the boat at the same time as crew members and whether someone alerted them.

"Well, that's precisely what we're trying to ascertain from the statements from the survivors," one of the officials says.

Asked about the cost of the retrieval, the coastguard admiral says the owners will bear the full cost of the retrieval and he cannot estimate how much that will be at this stage.

We're now hearing from one of the divers, an engineer diver, who describes the rescue operation from his perspective.

He recalls that the vessel was sunk at 50m depth, and getting into the cabins made it even more difficult.

He describes all the obstacles preventing them from getting into the vessel, adding all safety measures had to be properly observed to ensure divers did not risk their lives any further.

"It was particularly difficult, and it was very slow, very slow work," he adds, as it required "very lengthy periods to remove the obstacles through the cabins".

Stefano Fasano
Reporting from Sicily

Image source, PA Media

Deputy Prosecutor Cammarano explains that the reason why almost all the crew, except for the yacht's chef, managed to get to safety and the passengers didn't, is likely that the passengers were asleep at the time of the incident.

He also adds that, based on what they know now, it is unlikely that a waterspout caused the sinking of the Bayesian. Instead, it appears to have been caused by a downburst.

A downburst is a localised, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground, generally in an unpredictable manner.

Stefano Fasano
Reporting from Sicily

Cartosio confirms that charges could be pressed against one or more specific individuals well before the recovery of the Bayesian.

He also states that the captain and crew of the vessel are not required to remain in Sicily for the entire duration of the investigation.

However, the chief prosecutor expresses a desire for them to "remain available for further questioning," as this may be needed in the future as the investigation progresses.

Italian authorities are also asked about the time between the disaster and the crew saving themselves, and whether there was a rescue presence immediately.

In response, one of the local officials says the question is at the heart of what the inquiry will be looking into.

It is "obviously" something authorities will have to look into in greater depth and compare what was happening meteorologically and analyse the speed at which the vessel was moving, he adds.

Stefano Fasano
Reporting from Sicily

In response to a question from BBC correspondent Bethany Bell, Raffaele Macauda, deputy commander of the Palermo coastguard, says that the timing of the vessel's recovery from the bottom of the sea is uncertain and depends on many factors.

He emphasises that while the owner has expressed interest in recovering the vessel, they will first need to submit a technical recovery plan outlining how they intend to proceed.

"I can't say how long it will take before we can recover the vessel," he adds. "Among other things, we will need to empty the yacht's tanks to prevent any environmental contamination."

Image source, PA Media

The next question comes from La Repubblica newspaper, as one of their reporters asks if there is a black box and why the hatches were left open.

"We haven't got exact information about the black box," the official says.

"It was extremely difficult to get inside the cabins and the yacht itself," adding that the first phase of the inquiry will be looking into this further.

He says they cannot reveal anything further at this stage, but the facts will be confirmed by the later search amongst the wreckage - including whether the divers found them open or closed.

"We don't want to give mistaken information now that we'd have to deny later," he adds.

The first question from reporters is: how come the crew were able to get into a lifeboat, when the passengers couldn't?

In response to the question, one Italian official says the incident happened "really suddenly" and the inquiry will be looking into this closely.

"That's all I can say at the moment," the official added.

Stefano Fasano
Reporting from Sicily

Palermo coastguard deputy commander Raffaele Macauda then comments on the technical aspects of the rescue.

He highlights that the coastguard is conducting in-depth environmental monitoring and notes that the yacht's owner has expressed a desire to recover and resurface the vessel.

He also emphasises that the owner has been in contact with the coastguard regarding this matter.

Stefano Fasano
Reporting from Sicily

Bentivoglio Fiandra, chief of Palermo's fire brigade and part of the divers' rescue team, explains that the Bayesian sank stern-first and then rolled onto its right side.

As a result, the victims sought refuge on the left side of the boat, where the last air pockets remained as the vessel was sinking.

They found five bodies in the first cabin on the left and one, Hannah's, in the third cabin on the left.

Image source, Reuters

Speaking on behalf of the divers, one of the firefighters involved in search and rescue efforts says further divers were involved, and cameras installed to gather additional information.

Search and rescue personnel were also mobilised, with some 70 people being involved every single day in the search and rescue operation, he adds.

"This all illustrates the national dimension of the firefighter service in Italy," he adds.

Over 120 dives were undertaken he says, adding they could only stay in the water for 12 minutes at a time.

"It was an intense bout of work" and "very stressful", he notes. "We were operating at 50 metres depth and that there was very little visibility due to the weather conditions."