11 athletes drown off beach in Morocco

Rabat: Eleven teen athletes drowned on Sunday near an unguarded beach around the Moroccan capital Rabat, media reported.

The victims were in an outing organised by a sports club from the nearby town of Ben Slimane. Some 46 people participated in the event, mostly girls of 12-17 years old, according to Xinhua.

Local media reported that the search operation, in which two helicopters and several inflatable boats were used, resulted in the recovering of six bodies, while another five are yet to be found. Two were saved from drowning, it added.

Authorities announced that an investigation has been launched.