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Criminal case opened over fatal west Siberia riverboat - barge collision

Six people died, and another 49 were taken to hospital

MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) - A criminal case has been opened in the Omsk region, west Siberia, over officials' alleged negligence resulting in a riverboat and barge collision on the Irtysh river claiming six lives, an Investigative Committee official told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

A group of officials allegedly responsible for the accident is being identified, accused of negligence in which the captain of the Polesye-8 riverboat was cleared for duty without a mandatory medical check before its journey.

This led to the tragedy, investigators say, and on Monday, the captain admitted his guilt, saying he had taken his vessel into an oncoming traffic lane causing a collision. He admitted having drunk alcoholic, and is in custody.

The tragedy happened near the village of Novaya Stanitsa on August 17. Six people died, and another 49 were taken to hospital. Some of them are in critical condition. The boat was en route from Omsk to the village of Achair and the barge belonged to the Priboy OJSC.

The six fatalities were buried on Wednesday. Regional governor Viktor Nazarov ordered that 500,000 roubles should be allocated to each dead passenger's family.

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