The pleasure cruiser Bulgaria which sank on July 10 in central Russia claiming 114 lives is ready to be towed to shallow waters and then transported to the shore. Eight people are still missing after the calamity.
The vessel will be towed to a backwater some 11km away by the two floating cranes that earlier dislodged it from the bed of the River Volga. Twelve ships will accompany the Bulgaria to the shallow waters. At the shore, the vessel is awaited by experts who are preparing to examine it. The two cranes are up-anchoring at the moment.
The vessel is still full of water, which needs to be pumped out.
The operation to raise the sunken ship in Russia’s central republic of Tatarstan started a week ago, but has been hampered by weather and technical complications. It was only on Friday that engineers successfully detached the stern of the ship and its bow from the sticky mud of the river bed.
Only 79 people survived the sinking of the Bulgaria, which was carrying 201 people on the day of the catastrophe. Eight bodies are still missing. On Saturday, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said the bodies of six women and two men are being sought and confirmed that no children are among the missing.