All news

Kazan court to continue review of Bulgaria shipwreck case

Last week, the court extended the defendants' arrest to August 10

KAZAN, June 10 (Itar-Tass) - The Moscow district court of Kazan on Tuesday will continue review of the case over the sinking of the Bulgaria steamer in 2011, the spokesperson for the court told Itar-Tass.

Last week, the court extended the defendants' arrest to August 10.

The defendants are director of the AgroRechTur company Svetlana Inyakina, senior expert of the Perm sector, Russian Inland Waters Registry, Kama branch, Yakov Ivashov, former first officer of Bulgaria's captain Ramil Khametov, 41, and two Rostransnadzor inspectors, Vladislav Semyonov and Irek Timergazeeyev.

"The investigators believe the direct cause of the Bulgaria pleasure boat accident was a combination of factors such as sea unworthiness both because of its technical condition and the level of the crew's training, non-compliance with safe navigation regulations, and improper performance of duties by the shipowner, crewmembers, and inspectors of supervising bodies in preparing the ship for operation and in operating it," spokeswoman for the Russian Prosecutor General's Office /PGO/ Marina Gridneva said earlier.

On July 10, 2011, the Bulgaria sank at a depth of 18 meters in the Kuibyshev water reservoir, Tatarstan's Kamsko-Ustinsky district. One hundred and twenty-two people died. There were 79 survivors.

The damage to the shipowner - the Kama Shipping company - is estimated at some 30 million roubles, prosecutors said.