40 Die After Ship Sinks in Caspian Sea
More than 40 people died when a ship carrying passengers and oil across the Caspian Sea sank in a storm, leaving bodies floating in chilly waters and a vast oil slick, Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov said.
The Mercury-2 capsized Tuesday about 80 miles off Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, while sailing from Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Ships and helicopters searched for survivors amid the 5-by-9-mile slick. Officials said 10 survivors had been plucked from the sea, where temperatures of 59 degrees ruled out survival for more than a few hours.
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