AFP, KIEV: At least 12 people drowned Saturday when an overloaded passenger boat capsized in the Black Sea near Odessa in southern Ukraine, officials said. “The reason for this tragedy were storms and an absence of life jackets. Twelve people drowned and one is missing,” said Volodymyr Jmak, a deputy of the governor of Odessa region. He added that the vessel, the Ivolga, had been carrying 36 people, including three crew, when it sank mid-afternoon. Jmak said the remaining 23 passengers were safe, of whom 18 remained in hospital late Saturday evening. In a statement, the infrastructure ministry said the boat was heavily overloaded and only had a permit to carry 12 passengers and three crew. “According to preliminary findings, that is the cause of the tragedy,” it said.