According to reports, the captain of the yacht “Sicily” is being investigated after it sank

The captain of the sunken yacht “Sicily” is under investigation after seven people died in the tragedy, according to local reports.

The Bayesian – a 183-foot superyacht – is said to have sunk rapidly off the coast of Porticello at around 5 a.m. local time on Monday, August 19, following what the Italian Coast Guard called a “violent storm.”

Authorities said there were 22 people on board, including 12 passengers and 10 crew members. Fifteen people were rescued and authorities have now identified the seven fatalities.

According to the Italian news agency Ansa, the boat’s commander, 50-year-old New Zealander James Cutfield, is now officially being investigated for “negligent ship management and multiple negligent homicides.”

The agency said the captain was questioned by the Termini Imerese public prosecutor’s office for the second time in a week on Sunday 25 August, asking about the position of the keel, whether the hatch was open and when the alarm was raised in view of the deteriorating weather conditions.

Ansa added that during the two-hour hearing on Sunday, during which the captain was again heard, authorities reconstructed the approximately 32 minutes that elapsed between the time the sailboat took on water and the firing of the first distress signal rocket at 4:38 a.m.

The prosecutor had already outlined this timeline during the press conference on Saturday, Ansa continued.

An Italian criminal defense lawyer told PEOPLE that opening an investigation “does not imply guilt (innocent until proven guilty) and does not automatically mean that charges will be brought against the person.”

“This means that the people being examined can nominate their own medical expert for the autopsies that take place during their week. This is a very useful defence if formal charges are brought against them at a later date,” they added.

Local newspaper Sicilian Newspaper The broadcaster reported that the commander had been asked to name a defense attorney ahead of the autopsies, which are expected to begin on Monday, August 26, and last until Thursday, August 29.

The update comes after Sicilian authorities held a press conference on Saturday, August 24, to identify the victims.

Cartosio confirmed that the body of British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch was found on August 22, before the body of his 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch was recovered the following day, August 23.

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He also said that on August 22, authorities recovered the bodies of prominent New York lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda, as well as Morgan Stanley International CEO Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy.

Lynch, 59, was acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges just two months before the ship sank. A source close to the survivors told PEOPLE that passengers on the yacht were celebrating Lynch’s acquittal when the storm hit.

Morvillo, also 59, worked on the case, and Bloomer, 70, was a close friend of Lynch. The body of cook Recaldo Thomas was also recovered in the days after the sinking.