40 children among 130 feared dead on Volga boat

KAMSKOYE USTYE: Russian rescuers said the bodies of 40 children may be trapped in the playroom of a pleasure boat that went down with up to 130 people on board in a heavy Volga River storm.

Rescuers used life vests to bring dozens of bodies to shore in a grim recovery operation accompanied by wails from grieving parents and anger from the Kremlin over what seemed to be basic transport security lapses.

The worst river boat disaster since 1983 came on top of a recent series of deadly Russian plane crashes and other technical glitches that highlighted the vast work the country needs to do to upgrade its Soviet era infrastructure.

But the pain of what happened on one of Russia's most important rivers became increasingly unbearable Monday as the hours passed and the number of survivors refused to edge up beyond the 79 people reported on Sunday.

Russia's emergency minister told President Dmitry Medvedev that 208 people had managed to make it on board the Bulgaria in gross violation of rules that permitted only 140 people to use the 56-year-old craft.

Other reports said the Bulgaria had not undergone renovations since 1980 and was only equipped with two of the four required rescue boats -- with even those not being lowered because the craft was swallowed by the waters within minutes.

Medvedev responded by demanding a review of Russia's entire transportation infrastructure and requesting inquiries into why the ship had sailed with a broken left engine and without an operating license in violation of the law.

Russia's transport minister later said his commission had decided to remove three vessels similar to the Bulgaria from domestic use.

The range of violations detected on the ship are a particular embarrassment to Russian officials who are preparing the country for major international events such as the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and the 2018 football World Cup.

Russian infrastructure problems and corruption have raised the most serious questions among organiser of both events and Medvedev has been at pains in recent months to convince the global community of imminent improvements. (AFP)