A private pleasure boat carrying at least 16 people sank shortly after midnight on Sunday in the Moskva River in the center of the Russian capital after a collision with a cargo barge, a local police source said.
“Six people have been rescued, one swam to the shore on his own. Divers recovered two bodies from the river and the search for remaining passengers is underway,” the source said, citing the latest reports.
Another source in emergencies services told RIA Novosti that there were two Turkish nationals among the rescued passengers. Colleagues of the victims said the passengers celebrated a birthday party.
Witnesess have reported that the boat was making erratic movements, circling the barge before colliding with it.
A floating crane is expected to arrive at the site of the tragedy as the sunken boat has been reportedly caught between the hull of the barge and the bottom of the river at the depth of three meters, making the rescue difficult.
The lifting of the boat is expected to start at 11.00 am Moscow time (07:00 GMT).