The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has confirmed early Tuesday that at least 65 were killed in Sunday's ship sinking in the Volga River.

Rescuers board a boat heading for the accident site on the Volga River near the village of Kamskoe Ustie, Tatarstan, July 11, 2011. Russian authorities said Monday that 48 people had been confirmed dead in Sunday's ship sinking tragedy in the Volga River. (Xinhua/Li Yong)
A ministry spokesman told Interfax news agency that as of 9:30 a.m. Moscow time (0530 GMT), a total of 65 dead bodies have been lifted from the sunken cruise ship "Bulgaria," which was heavily overloaded with some 200 passengers than its capacity limit of 120.

The spokesman said rescuers and divers continued searching in the wreckage.

According to the Russian Transport Ministry, the 56-year-old ship was not allowed to transport passengers and the shipowner did not acquire a license for the voyage.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet