The confirmed death toll from the sunken cruise vessel Bulgaria has risen to 117 people, after the divers discovered three more bodies on the riverboat, the Emergencies Ministry said on Sunday.
"The bodies of three more people were found. Therefore, the death toll has risen to 117 people," the ministry said.
A spokesman for the regional emergencies center said that the bodies of three women had been recovered from water. They were found on the boat deck, in the shower room and on the upper deck, he said.
"Five people are still missing. We expect to find them on the lower deck," Igor Panshin said.
The twin-deck riverboat Bulgaria capsized and sank on the Volga River on July 10. There were 201 people aboard the riverboat. As many as 79 people were rescued.
The ship was delivered to shallow waters late on Saturday, and divers are carrying out work to seal the Bulgaria and pump out water.
