One dead, 15 missing as Russian passenger boat sinks

At least one person has been killed and 15 others are missing after a passenger boat with more than 180 people onboard sank on the Volga river in central Russia.

Two people were injured in the incident after the boat sank in the middle of the river in the Tatarstan region, about 450 miles east of Moscow.

An emergency services spokeswoman said a woman had drowned, and her body had been recovered.

She added that 135 passengers and 47 crew were onboard when the double-decker vessel went down some two miles away from the nearest bank. The depth at the site was 65ft.

The Volga, Europe’s largest river in terms of length and discharge, is up to 19 miles wide. The river is a popular tourist destination, especially in summer months. Most of Russia’s largest cities are located along its banks.

More than 80 passengers were picked up by a passing ship, many others have made it to the beach on improvised rafts or were rescued by emergency workers.

The boat, called Bulgaria, was made in late 1950s in Czechoslovakia and belongs to a local tourism company. It was going to the regional capital, Kazan from the town of Bulgar.