ARTICLE: The Sinking of the “Bulgaria” (2011)
July 15, 2011
Vessel: Passenger Ship “Bulgaria”
Year: 2011 (July)
Place: Tatarstan, Volga River, Russian Federation.
Incident: Sinking.
Casualties: 77 Adult fatalities, 11 children.
Cause: Age & Maintenance of Vessel / Overcrowding / Heavy Weather.
On 11 July the vessel “Bulgaria” was sailing, heavily overcrowded, when it rolled, allowing water to rush into the internal spaces, causing the vessel to sink. It took just three minutes to sink leaving almost 200 people overboard and trapped inside, two miles from land.
One of the most tragic reports from the incident was that two nearby vessels sailed past and refused to offer assistance to the survivors. It noew appears that legal proceedings will be issued against those two ships by the Russian government.
The ship was 55 years old and its construction meant that any water ingress to internal areas was fatal (there were no seperation comprtments in the hull). The extrememe overcrowding would not allow it to stay upright in the weather it experienced. Investigations into this tragic accident are ongoing.
