River disaster

Russia marked a day of mourning on Tuesday, as divers searching a pleasure boat that sank in the Volga River discovered the bodies of some 50 people, most of them children. They had apparently been trapped in a recreation room when the boat went down in stormy weather on Sunday.

Authorities said 79 people had been rescued from the overcrowded boat, but over 120 others are feared dead. Divers have already located the body of the ship's captain.

Most of the survivors were picked up by a passing riverboat after two commercial vessels apparently passed by without coming to their aid.

Questions are now being asked about the safety of the aged vessel, the 56-year-old Bulgaria. Prosecutors said the boat lacked a license to carry passengers and had a problem with its left engine when it set out for Kazan, capital of the Tatarstan region.

Rescuers said the bodies would only be recovered once the entire ship was raised. The strong currents in that section of the river meant it would be a delicate operation.

The boat sank some 3 kilometers (1.85 miles) from shore at one of the widest points on the river. The wreckage is lying at a depth of some 20 meters (65 feet)

Grieving for the victims

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev declared Tuesday a day of mourning for the victims. Flags were flown at half-mast across the nation and television broadcasters restricted entertainment shows and advertising as a mark of respect.

People left flowers and small candles on the main embankment of the central Russian city of Kazan as relatives and shell-shocked survivors sought to console each other.

One survivor described the riverboat as a "metal coffin."

Medvedev has called for a "total examination" of passenger transport vehicles in Russia. "The number of old rust tubs which we have sailing is exorbitant," he said.

The Federal Investigative Committee said it had confiscated documents from the company that owned the boat.

Author: Joanna Impey (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Nancy Isenson