Weather security

13 children & 1 adult dead as tourist boat overturns in lake storm in NW Russia

At least 13 children and one adult have drowned after three tourist vessels from a summer camp were caught in a lake storm in Karelia, northwest Russia. All the children appear to be from Moscow.

The casualty figures were reported by the Investigative Committee probing the incident. Investigators say there were 47 children and four adults on board the vessels: two boats and one raft.

The tourist group that got caught in the storm consisted of two boats and one raft, according to information from the Emergencies Ministry. Rescuers have managed to save 11 people so far, the ministry said in a statement.

There were 47 children and 4 adults on board the three tourist vessels, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a statement.

A total of 36 people (from three boats) survived the incident, Emergencies Ministry said, adding that four people remain unaccounted for.

Those children who died in the incident “apparently had no life vests” and those who “were with life vests, managed to survive,” children’s rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told RIA.