Boat accident leaves six dead, 20 missing in southern Chile

At least six people were dead and 20 missing after a boat capsized Sunday at a lake in southern Chile, authorities said.

Regional Governor Jorge Vives said three passengers were rescued alive after the boat overturned on lake Maihue, about 1,000 kilometers (680 miles) south of Santiago.

"We are still checking, but we know there were around 30 people on the boat," Vives told Radio Cooperativa of Santiago by telephone.

He said many passengers in the boat were believed to be children who were on a year-end school outing.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, AP reported. V.A.