Russia releases Volga tragedy death toll
Rescuers have lifted the doomed Bulgaria from the depths of the Volga River – nearly two weeks after the overcrowded rusty ship sank in one of Russia’s worst ever maritime tragedies. Two weeks…
That allowed authorities to finally release a final death toll. The count is tragic: 122 dead. They said 201 people were onboard the ship (the number originally thrown about was 208). Seventy-nine people were rescued.
The boat had been resting at a depth of 20 meters (66 feet). Most of the passengers were trapped in the boat after it capsized. Investigators are looking at overcrowding and engine trouble as the cause. Two people have been charged in the disaster — Svetlana Inyakina, the general director of the company that rented the boat, and Yakov Ivashov, the inspector who certified that the Bulgaria was fit to sail.
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