Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Russia mourns Volga boat tragedy

Scores of sunken Volga boat passengers still missing

Rescue workers came back from place where a cruise ship sank in Kuibyshevsky Zaton, 120 km from Kazan, Russia, Monday, July 11, 2011, on the Volga River, in central Russia. (AP / Misha Japaridze) Rescue workers came back from place where a cruise ship sank in Kuibyshevsky Zaton, 120 km from Kazan, Russia, Monday, July 11, 2011, on the Volga River, in central Russia. (AP / Misha Japaridze)

The Associated Press
MOSCOW — Rescuers scoured the wide waters of a Volga River reservoir on Monday, searching with dimming hopes for survivors after an aged, overloaded cruise ship sank amid wind and rain. Forty-one people were confirmed dead, but more than 80 remained missing.
Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Monday that 208 people were believed to have been aboard the Bulgaria when it sank Sunday afternoon. That's nearly 75 per cent more than the 120 the boat was licensed to carry, officials said.
As of mid-afternoon, 41 bodies had been found, including five children, according to the regional Emergencies Ministry office.
The ministry said 80 survivors were rescued, all of them Russian; it was unclear whether any foreigners were aboard. River cruise boats such as the Bulgaria are highly popular among Russian holiday-makers, conducting cruises ranging from a few days to two weeks.
Igor Panishin of the regional Emergencies Ministry was quoted by the state news agency RIA Novosti as saying survivors reported the ship was leaning to starboard as it made a turn and a wave washed over the deck. It sank within about eight minutes, he said. The agency cited local investigators as saying the ship was listing even when the voyage began, possibly because of unemptied sewage tanks, and that the port engine was malfunctioning.More...

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