More than 50 feared dead in Russian oil rig disaster

At least four people died and 49 were missing and feared dead Sunday after an oil rig capsized and sank in icy seas off Russias far eastern Sakhalin island, the countrys second major water disaster since July.Another 14 people were rescued as officials stubbornly clung to hope that more crew members could be pulled out alive even after spending more than 16 hours in the frigid waters of the Okhotsk Sea.The Kolskaya oil rig platform with 67 people on board was being towed from the Kamchatka peninsula across the sea towards Sakhalin island when it got caught up in a storm, capsized and sank within 20 minutes.President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a probe into the disaster, telling officials to provide victims with all the necessary assistance.This is a horrible tragedy which caught the crew off guard, said Dmitry Dmitriyenko, governor of the northern Murmansk region, which was home to 33 of the 67-strong crew.I am asking you to believe in the rescue of the crew members, there is still a chance, Dmitriyenko said in a statement.The rescue operation was continuing through the night even though efforts have been hampered by strong winds and waves around five metres (15 feet) high.The operation is taking place in complicated weather conditions, the Kremlin said in a statement.