Five people have died after a boat capsized off the coast of New Zealand - with investigations into whether it was overturned after a collision with a whale.
Six people managed to survive the incident, near the South Island region of Kaikoura, on Saturday.
Officials describe their condition as "stable" with one in hospital.
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Town mayor Craig Mackle spoke to the media on Saturday evening, and noted that the waters at the time of the tragedy were calm.
The belief is that a whale surfaced from beneath the boat.
"This is a tragic event that affects many lives, not least of all families and loved ones," Mr Mackie said at a news conference.
"I would like to thank everyone involved in the rescue and the recovery. Being able to bring everyone home is the best result in such a terrible circumstance."
The passengers were part of a bird watching group that is believed to have assembled from all over the country.
Mr Mackle told the Associated Press that such accidents are unheard of in the region, but the number of whales in the area in recent days had caused him to worry about a collision.
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