一艘观鲸船在加拿大沿海沉没五人丧生

At least five people are dead after a whale watching boat sank Sunday afternoon off Canada's west coast.

It is not yet clear what caused the boat to go down near Tofino, British Columbia, with 27 people on board.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Center said 21 people were rescued and one was still missing.  Most of those rescued were taken to hospitals.  A spokeswoman for Island Health said one person was in serious condition, but stable.

The boat was operated by Jamie's Whaling Station, which takes people out on boats for several hours in the waters around Vancouver Island to see Gray whales and Humpback whales, according to its website.

The company said late Sunday it would release more information about the incident later after focusing on the rescue efforts for the passengers and crew.