A Russian Volga River cruise Ship Sinks, At least 50 died

File Photo of Russian Volga River Cruise Ship

MOSCOW : An overloaded Volga River cruise ship of Russia has sank in a storm Sunday afternoon and dozens of people are missing and presumed dead in Russia's worst marine accident in 25 years.The current death toll rose to 50 but officials said it was likely to climb further as divers continued the grim task of removing the dead.

President Dmitry Medvedev declared Tuesday a national day of mourning and ordered officials to check the safety of Russia's aging fleet of cruise ships. "It's already clear that this disaster couldn't have happened if safety regulations were followed and inspections were conducted," a somber-looking Mr. Medvedev told a hastily called meeting of top officials. "The quantity of old tubs plying our waters is excessive."

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin appeared to have tears in his eyes as he spoke of the disaster at a separate meeting with economists shown on state television.

Police escort rescued men and women

Officials said 208 people—among them many families with young children—were on the two-deck Bulgaria. The vessel was built for no more than about 120, investigators said, and didn't have the proper permits to sail. Twenty-five of the passengers weren't on the official manifest, officials said. "We still need to figure out how they got there," Sergei Shoigu, minister of emergency situations, told Mr. Medvedev.

About 80 people were reported rescued, most by a passing ferry. Investigators said the half-century-old Bulgaria went to the bottom in just a few minutes after being swamped by a large wave as the crew tried to maneuver in a sudden thunderstorm storm on the huge Kuibyshev Reservoir on the Volga. Terrified passengers and crew managed to get only a few inflatable rafts off before the ship sank