Skopje - At least 12 people died when a tourist boat sank Saturday in Ohrid Lake in Macedonia, local media reports said, and there were fears that five more people had drowned.

Fifty-three people were in safety after the vessel, with mainly Bulgarian tourists on board capsized some 200-300 metres off shore, the reports said.

Rescuers recovered 12 bodies and a further five people were known to be missing. Authorities said they feared the death toll could rise. (dpa)