The Bulgaria, a river cruise boat which sank on the Volga river killing at least 114 people, will be discarded as soon as investigation into the accident is over, a Russian deputy transport minister said.
“The ship will be cut and disposed of. No one needs such monuments,” said Viktor Olersky, who heads the operation to bring the vessel to surface from the depth of about 20 meters.
The disposal costs will be paid either by ship owner, or the government of Tatarstan, the region where the tragedy occurred.
The ship was delivered to shallow waters late on Saturday, and divers are to seal the Bulgaria and start pumping out water early on Sunday.
The twin-deck riverboat capsized and sank on the Volga River on June 10, killing at least 114 passengers and crew, with another 79 rescued. Eight people are missing.