The lifting of the Russian boat that sank on July 10 on the Volga River could start early on Wednesday, a Russian deputy transportation minister said on Tuesday.
"The operation will depend on weather conditions. If we manage to put metal sheets under the ship's bottom and the weather permits, we will start work at 5.00 am Moscow time [01:00 GMT," Viktor Olersky said.
The vessel is lying at a depth of about 20 meters some three kilometers from the shore.
The bodies of 114 victims have so far been recovered, while 79 people were rescued after the boat sank on July 10 in the Volga River about 80 kilometers south of Kazan, the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan. There were 208 people on board the vessel, which was designed for 120 passengers.
Police said earlier on Tuesday that six out of 15 passengers that were previously reported missing "have been found."
