Twelve people on a summer camp were found dead Sunday after being caught in a storm at Lake Syamozero a day earlier in the Republic of Karelia in northwestern Russia.

"Eleven children and one adult died," said Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee.

A total of 47 children mostly aged from 12 to 14, and four adult instructors were on a lake voyage, when the boats turned over, the Tass news agency quoted Markin as saying.

Local media reported that rescue workers are still searching for the missing.

The Karelia Republic has declared June 20 a day of mourning, while the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case and detained one of the instructors.

Vice Chairperson of Russian lower parliament house, or State Duma, Sergey Zheleznyak urged efforts to check all children's vacation destinations.

"The lack of due skills, non-professionalism, and sometimes negligence (of adults who take care of the children) result in tragedies like the one in Karelia

source : xinhua