Russia boat disaster leaves 100 feared dead
Over one hundred people are feared dead after a cruise ship sank on Russia’s Volga River. Around 80 were rescued by passing boats, after the overcrowded cruiser sank during a storm on Sunday.
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The Bulgaria, which was built in 1955, had engine trouble before setting out and was seen listing to one side before the disaster. The two-deck boat capsized and sank within minutes leaving no time for passengers to use the two lifeboats on board.
“We are hoping that there are remaining pockets of air where people can breathe,” said head of the Volga region emergency ministry branch Igor Panshin, on state television.
Several survivors said lives were lost because passing boats did not stop to help.
The ageing boat which had a capacity of 140 passengers was carrying around 200.
The accident occurred around three kilometres from the shore near Syukeyevo village in Tatarstan.
Relatives set up camp on the shore of the river, on Monday, waiting for news. However the emergency ministry spokeswoman Svetlana Lebedeva said finding survivors inside the sunken boat was “unlikely”.
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