Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has demanded checks on all transport services after an overloaded¹ boat sank on the Volga River, leaving 110 people missing and feared dead.

伏尔加河上一艘超载的游轮沉没，110人下落不明，俄罗斯总统梅德韦杰夫因此下令对所有交通设置进行检修。

The Bulgaria was overcrowded and sank rapidly during a storm, officials said
Mr Medvedev said the old, double-decker tourist boat was in a poor condition.

Around 80 people were rescued on the River Volga in Tatarstan, about 750km (450 miles) east of Moscow.

Officials say the boat's capacity was 120 passengers and crew, but it had been carrying 208 people on Sunday.

At least 50 children are feared to be among the dead. A survivor² said children had gathered in a play area on deck just before the boat went down.

At a government meeting on Monday Mr Medvedev called for "a complete check on all means of passenger transport". Russia had too many "old rust³（生锈） tubs", he complained.

He declared Tuesday a day of mourning across Russia for the Volga River victims.

Officials say there is little hope of finding any more survivors⁴.

So far 41 bodies have been recovered. Divers⁵ saw many more bodies inside the sunken vessel⁶.

Boat sank suddenly

The double-decker Bulgaria was caught in a storm on Sunday while sailing from Bolgary to the regional capital, Kazan.

It sank within minutes at one of the widest points of the river, at about 1400 (1000 GMT).

The bad weather, mechanical failure on the 55-year-old vessel and overcrowding have all been cited as possible reasons why the boat sank.

Nearly 50 Russian divers were scouring⁷ the murky⁸（黑暗的，朦胧的） river on Monday.

Igor Panshin, head of the Emergencies Ministry's Volga Regional Centre, was shown commenting on NTV: "[The divers] were tapping on the hull⁹ in hope of getting possible replies. Unfortunately, none came.

"They have now shone light into the holds and the restaurants, and they see that there are [dead bodies of] people inside."