Bulgaria (ship)

History
Soviet UnionUSSR
Name	Ukraina
History
Russia
Name	Bulgaria
Launched	1955
Out of service	10 July 2011
Fate	Sunk
General characteristics
Class and type	785/OL800 (in Slovakia)
Type	River cruise ship
Tonnage	1003
Length	80.2 metres (263 ft)
Beam	12.5 metres (41 ft)
Draught	1.9 metres (6.2 ft)
Decks	2
Installed power	273 kilowatts (366 hp)
Speed	20.5 kilometres per hour (12.7 mph; 11.1 kn)
Capacity	233

Bulgaria (Russian: Булгария, romanized: Bulgariya) was a class 785/OL800 (in Slovakia) Soviet/Russian river cruise ship which operated in the Volga-Don basin. On 10 July 2011, Bulgaria sank in the Kuybyshev Reservoir of the Volga River near Syukeyevo, Kamsko-Ustyinsky District, Tatarstan, Russia, with 208 passengers and crew aboard when sailing from the town of Bolgar to the regional capital, Kazan. The catastrophe led to at least 86 confirmed deaths.

The sinking of Bulgaria is the largest Russian non-military ship disaster since 1986 when the SS Admiral Nakhimov crashed into a cargo ship and 423 people died.

Sinking

On 10 July 2011, Bulgaria was traveling in Tatarstan on the Volga River when she was caught in a storm and sank in several minutes at about 13:58 Moscow time (09:58 UTC), several hours after beginning its cruise.

Survivors say that during the cruise, the Bulgaria got caught up in stormy weather, and tilted sharply to the right. This was apparently compounded by the captain trying to turn the boat around, and soon water was rushing into the vessel through portholes that had been opened because the ship had no air conditioning. According to a survivor, the sinking came without warning, and the vessel "listed to starboard and capsized and sank." The boat sank within a matter of minutes, plunging down nearly 20 metres to the river bed.

The sinking occurred about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from shore, in the Kamsko-Ustyinsky District. The area in which the ship sank is about 20 metres (66 ft) deep.

Casualties

As of 12 July 2011, the officially confirmed death toll is at 116, with 86 bodies having been recovered. On the previous day, a government official from the Ministry of Emergency Situations said that the likelihood of finding additional survivors was slim, leaving a presumed total of up to 129 dead. Among the dead were believed to be at least 50 children.. On 12 July 2011, the divers recovered bodies of Bulgaria's captain Alexander Ostrovsky and his spouse.

79 people (56 passengers and 23 crew members) were reported to have survived the sinking. Of those, 76 were rescued by the cruise ship Arabella, a few others were saved by other boats, and one survivor managed to swim to the shore. At the time of the incident, Bulgaria passenger's count is estimated at 173, though she was only rated to carry 148.

According to survivors' accounts, two ships were passing by after Bulgaria had sunk. These ships did not stop to help and ICRF has launched an official investigation into these claims.

Dead and injured by country

Nationality	Dead	Injured
Russian	67	13
Belarusian	1	1
Total	68	14

Cause

On 11 July, an anonymous source close to the committee investigating the sinking said that the likely cause was portholes that were opened because of the lack of air conditioning on the vessel, which allowed water to enter Bulgaria when the captain attempted to turn the ship during stormy weather.

Evidence suggested that a number of safety violations could have caused or compounded the disaster. According to one survivor, emergency exit doors on the boat had been sealed or locked shut. Investigators also suggested that the boat set sail with a tilt to the right, possibly due to full sewage or fuel tanks on that side, and with one of its engines not properly functioning. Some survivors told Russian news agencies that they begged the captain to turn round because of the tilt, but were ignored. There were conflicting reports about whether the boat was properly licensed for passenger cruises.

Government reaction

President Dmitry Medvedev on 11 July ordered "a complete check on all means of passenger transport" in Russia in response to the sinking of Bulgaria, and also declared 12 July a national day of mourning for those killed in the incident.

Ship

Bulgaria was built at Slovenské Lodenice in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, in 1955 as Ukraina, and was renamed in February 2010 to Bulgaria after the Volga Bulgaria. Her length was 80.2 metres (263 ft), her beam was 12.5 metres (41 ft), her draft was 1.9 metres (6.2 ft), and her power output was 273 kilowatts (366 hp). She had two engines and two decks. Her cruising speed was 20.5 kilometres per hour (12.7 mph; 11.1 kn), and her original passenger capacity was 233 (then reduced after overhaul).

At the time of the sinking, Bulgaria was owned by Kamskoye Rechnoye Parokhodstvo, which leased the ship to OOO Briz, which in turn subleased it to OOO Argorechtur, which operated it. Investigators claim that Argorechtur was operating the cruise ship without a proper licence, and the director of OOO Agrorechtur was arrested on 12 July 2011.

See also

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• Alexander Suvorov (ship)

External links

• Ministry of Emergency Situations
  • "A cruise ship has sunk in Volga River, as of 00.00 80 people were rescued."
  • "Search-and-rescue operation is continued on the site of sunk cruise ship in Kazan."
  • "As of 02.20 11.07.2007: lists of people on board of the sunk ship in the Rapublic of Tatarstan." (.DOC file)
  • "The situation emerged as a result of wreck of the cruise ship in the Republic of Tatarstan (as of 00.30 12.07.2011)."
  • "Divers have examined the most part of the middle and main decks of the Bulgaria."
  • "10.07.11 at 20:24 EMERCOM Ilyushin-76 plane left for Kazan."
  • "Preliminary list of rescued in the accident on the cruise ship “Bulgaria”. The lists are updated regularly."
  • "According to preliminary data 84 people have been rescued from 173 on board of the sunk ship in Volga River. One woman died."
• Ministry of Health and Social Development
  • "Министр Татьяна Голикова доложила Президенту РФ о ситуации с пострадавшими в результате кораблекрушения в Татарстане и аварийной посадкой самолета АН-24 в Томской области." Template:Ru icon