More than 100 people are now feared to have died in the sinking of a Russian river boat on the Volga. The Bulgaria went down in 60 feet of water during a storm near the village of Syukeyevo in the Republic of Tatarstan.
The 55-year-old vessel had a capacity of 140 passengers and 33 crew, but some reports said it was overloaded and that at least 199 were on board during the journey to the regional capital of Kazan.
Official reports of casualties are still confused, but six deaths have been confirmed, and it is believed the bodies of dozens more – many of them children – are still trapped inside the vessel.
The locally-owned boat, which was on a two-day cruise, went down at about 2.00 pm local time and rescuers have been working throughout the night with almost 50 divers in the water.
Igor Panshin, head of the Volga Regional Emergency Centre said: “Rescue-divers tapped the hull of the sunken boat, hoping to find survivors, but unfortunately, there was no response.There are people there, but none of them are alive ”
The rescue operation is being hampered by strong winds and underwater currents. More than 80 passengers were picked up by a passing ship; others are reported to have made it to the beach on improvised rafts or were rescued by emergency workers.
The Volga is the largest river in Europe and is a vital part of Russia’s transport network. The sinking occurred about 450 miles east of Moscow. A number of UK tour operators sell river cruises in the region, but on considerably newer and better-equipped vessels than the Bulgaria.
About the Author: John Honeywell
John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.
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