A British man and woman were rescued from a tourist boat in the Caribbean which capsized in poor weather killing 13 people.

The boat got into difficulty in rain and high winds travelling between the Corn Islands, a popular tourist destination, around 43 miles off the coast of south-eastern Nicaragua. Thirteen women, all Costa Rican nationals, were killed.

The British survivors were reportedly rescued with two American tourists, three Nicaraguans and 12 Costa Ricans, who were also aboard the Reina del Caribe, Spanish for "Caribbean Queen".

The boat's captain and owner have been detained on suspicion of breaking a ban on operating while stormy weather hit the region.

The Foreign Office declined to comment further.

Mario Berrios, the Nicaraguan navy's commander for the southern Caribbean region, said the boat's captain and owner were detained because the vessel was not permitted to sail.

Local authorities had reportedly suspended boat launches in the area due to high wind speeds that reached 25 to 30 knots (29 to 35 mph) after several days of stormy weather around the remote islands.