Volga River: Russian Boat Sinks, 130 Drown

by NowPublic Staff | July 12, 2011 at 07:08 am

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'Bulgaria' Sinks on Volga River

The 'Bulgaria', a pleasure cruise boat, sank on the Volga River in Russia on July 10. The Volga river boat was unlicensed, and carrying 79 people more than its design supported. Out of the 209 passengers on board, only 79 survived.

The Bulgaria was having engine problems even as it was launching, and sank moments later, around 2km from shore in one of the widest parts of the Volga. Since the power went out, the loudspeakers and alarms didn't work.

Divers Retrieve Bodies from Sunken Volga River Boat

Salvage divers have found the bodies of more than 50 people already, most of them children in the Bulgaria's playroom. Many of the dead are wearing life vests, suggesting that they had a chance to put on flotation devices, but not enough time to escape the sinking ship.

While the Bulgaria sunk in around 20 meters (60 feet) of water, the murky riverbed offers little visibility.

Russian President Dmitiri Medvedev has ordered a criminal investigation into the company that operated the Bulgaria.

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