Kazan and Kuibyshev Reservoir, Russia, July 18 (Interfax) - The ship Bulgaria, which sank on July 10, killing at least 114 people, was practically put in an upright position on Sunday before being raised from the floor of the Kuibyshev Reservoir, one of the artificial lakes on the Volga River.
The Bulgaria, which was lying on the starboard side on the reservoir floor after sinking during a cruise, currently had a listing angle of between 10 and 15 degrees and was expected to be put completely upright within an hour, Viktor Olersky, coordinator of the operation of raising the boat from the reservoir floor, told reporters.
Olersky said no dead bodies had been found since the start of the operation of putting the boat upright.
It was expected that divers would seal starboard potholes and other openings that were inaccessible while the ship was lying on its side.
Earlier, an Interfax reporter said the boat Priboi, which earlier on Sunday blocked journalists’ sight of the Bulgaria raising operation, had sailed off, and that the reporters could see two boats that were most likely tied to the Bulgaria by ropes.
One of the boats was lying on the surface in a capsized position. The other only had its bow above the water and was apparently tied to the Bulgaria’s port.
The Priboi had been preventing journalists from watching preparations for raising the Bulgaria from a boat not far away.
There were suspicions among the reporters that dead bodies might come to the surface in the course of the operation and that the aim of moving the Priboi onto the site was to prevent the journalists from seeing them.
Only 79 of the 208 people who were allegedly aboard the Bulgaria during the accident were rescued.
Those saved included 10 of the about 40 children and teenagers who were among the passengers.
The accident took a confirmed death toll of 114. All the dead bodies have been found, identified and handed over to the victims’ families.
Fifteen people are still reported missing.
