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13 kids drown, one still missing in boating accident in NW Russia

Xinhua, June 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The death toll of an accident Saturday in a children's summer camp in northwest Russia has risen to 13, with one child still missing, a local branch of the Russian Investigative Committee said Monday.

The committee said in a statement that investigators had detained five suspects in the accident, which happened in the Russian republic of Karelia, namely the camp director, a deputy director, two camp counselors and an instructor.

If found guilty, the suspects would face punishment of up to 10 years in prison, the committee added.

According to investigators, 47 children aged between 12 to 14 accompanied by four adults went to a lake on a boating voyage on Saturday using a raft and two canoes, when a strong wind toppled them.

The victims tried to reach the shore by swimming, but not all could make it because of big waves and cold water. Thirteen bodies have been found and the search for another victim continues.

The committee said it will take all measures to establish the causes of the tragedy and punish those responsible.

An Antonov An-148 airplane of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations has flown the 33 surviving children to Moscow, where all of them will be taken to a hospital for a thorough health check, the ministry said.

The camp will be closed, said Vladimir Puchkov, the minister of emergency situations, who accompanied the children on the plane.

Earlier in the day, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the accident "an obvious result of outrageous and criminal negligence."

Speaking to his deputies, Medvedev ordered an inspection of other summer camps in order to avoid similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and the Head of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen have issued separate statements declaring June 20 day of mourning. Endi