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MOSCOW, July 31 (Itar-Tass) — The owner of the pleasure boat that has sunk in the Moskva River was its captain and he did not survive in the accident, spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee (SK) Vladimir Markin told journalists.
“The vessel owner Gennady Zigner was the boat’s captain. He is dead,” he said.
Markin stressed that he had been repeatedly brought to responsibility, including for exceeding the number of passengers on board.
“According to the state inspectorate for small size vessels, this boat’s capacity was no more than 12 passengers. Initially, there were 17 people on board, then one of them disembarked. That is, the violation regarding the excessive number of passengers has already been registered,” Markin said.
He also noted that the sunken boat was registered in Chukotka, but underwent technical inspection in Moscow. He said that the “investigation will study the role of control and supervisory bodies that issued the license for the vessel’s operation.”
The boat sank overnight to Sunday, crashing at high speed into the Oka-5 barge moored at the pier. Seven people were rescued, and the confirmed death toll is nine people.