British technology tycoon Mike Lynch is among six tourists missing after a luxury yacht sank in bad weather off the coast of Sicily, sources said.

A body, believed to be that of the vessel’s chef, has been found and 15 people including Mr Lynch's wife were rescued, according to local media.

Four of the missing passengers are British and two are American, Italian news website la Reppublica stated.

The superyacht, named Bayesian, capsized at about 5am off Palermo and was flying a British flag, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.

The body was found near the wreck at a depth of 50m (164ft), fire and rescue services said.

A spokesperson for Mr Lynch said there was no comment.

Mr Lynch, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was born in Essex and grew up near Chelmsford. He was made an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006.

The yacht sank as a fierce storm battered the area overnight.

The daily Il Giornale di Sicilia newspaper reported that the vessel had mostly British passengers on board, but also people from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland and British-French citizens.

Karsten Borner, captain of a nearby boat, told journalists those missing included the Bayesian’s owner and a child, news agency Reuters reported.

He said his crew took on board some survivors who were on a life raft, including three who were seriously injured.

Fisherman Francesco Cefalu said he sailed from the shore to the scene after seeing a flare at about 4.30am, but by the time he arrived Bayesian had already sunk, with only items such as cushions and wood floating in the water.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.”

Bayesian completed a number of sailings in recent days, calling at various ports in Sicily, according to ship-tracking website VesselFinder. The superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites.