Two die after Paris boat accident

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Two die in Paris boat accident

A father and his six-year-old son who were trapped in a sunken pleasure boat which hit a bridge pillar on the River Seine in Paris have died, say police.

The pair were underwater near Notre Dame cathedral for 20 minutes before divers pulled them from the vessel.

Ten others were rescued from the water after the vessel sank. All 12 on board were French nationals, police said.

Officials are investigating if the boat collided with a larger tourist vessel before hitting the Archeveque bridge.

Paris police headquarters said the father and son died overnight in hospital after the accident just before 2200 local time (2100 BST) on Saturday.

The 10 other people rescued were said to have been hurt, but it is not known if their injuries were serious.

The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says the Seine is always busy with pleasure boats on Saturdays but serious accidents are extremely rare.