At least 46 people have died, and dozens more are still missing, following the sinking of the ship ‘Bulgaria’, on the Volga River in Russia yesterday.  Far from a freak accident, it sounds like this tragedy could have been prevented through a slightly more accountable attitude by the pleasure cruise operators.

The vessel was reportedly overloaded – it was carrying nearly 200 people, although its realistic capacity was 150.  I guess the owners didn’t think that was a problem, as they didn’t have a licence to transport passengers anyway.   Following an investigation, the Russian Prosecutor’s Office has reported that the left engine of the ship was broken.  A defect that may have been picked up earlier if the Bulgaria hadn’t last been serviced 30 years ago.

It is believed there were many children on board, and President Dmitry Medvedev has declared tomorrow a national day of mourning for the victims of the accident.  To date 80 passengers have been rescued.

He has also called for “a total inspection of all public carriers in Russia,” stating that “this ship was not the only one with issues.

“The number of old tubs… now in use (in Russia) is just staggering.”

[Source: CNN]