Special police investigators check the recovered bodies of the victims of the boat "Ilinden" that sank in Ohrid Lake, Macedonia, 05 September 2009. Photo by EPA/BGNES
Fifteen people, most of whom Bulgarians, died Saturday when an ageing tourist boat sank within seconds into Macedonia's Lake Ohrid, officials said.
"More than 70 passengers were on the boat," Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska told reporters. "Fifteen perished, four seriously injured were taken to hospital in Ohrid and about 50 survivors are at a local hotel."
The captain of the Iliden was among the dead, Jankulovska said, adding that the vessel was carrying "a group of Bulgarian tourists and their Macedonian guide".
The death toll was liable to rise as search efforts continued.