The captain and second-in-command of a sightseeing vessel have been taken into custody in Paris by police investigating a boating tragedy. A man and a six-year-old boy died after their pleasure craft sank in the River Seine, close to the Notre Dame cathedral.

A senior government transport official said: “This is a very well known navigation spot in Paris, used by many people. So it’s going to be quick and easy, thanks to eyewitnesses, to find out the cause of this accident.”

Early reports indicate the small vessel, which was carrying 12 people, might have been hit by one of the well known tourist launches that operate in Paris, known as bateau-mouche. The man and boy died in hospital after being rescued from the water.

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