A Russian emergencies ministry plane with a group of rescuers and special diving equipment took off on Monday from the southern city of Krasnodar to the republic of Tatarstan to join the search for missing people from the Bulgaria cruise ship wreckage, a spokesman for the ministry said.
Two-decked Bulgaria with 185 people on board sank in the Volga River on Sunday at 13:58 Moscow time (09:58 GMT) near the village of Syukeyevo in the Kansko-Ustinovsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan.
“The Ilyushin Il-76 plane took off for Kazan at 3:37 Moscow time [23:37 GMT Sunday]. There are 12 divers and special diving equipment on board of the aircraft,” the spokesman said.
According to the recent information, 80 people were rescued, three people, including a child, were discovered dead, while over 100 remain missing.
The emergencies ministry said earlier that 223 people, including 80 divers, are involved in the relief operation. The vessel rests on the bottom of the river at the depth of 20 meters (65.6 feet) and about three kilometers (1.8 miles) from the nearest shore.