Sat, Feb 11 2012

Three Macedonians involved in rescue operation awarded Bulgarian citizenship

Tue, Sep 15 2009 15:12 CET

byNick Iliev

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Three Macedonians involved in rescue operation awarded Bulgarian citizenship

People pay their respects during a mass funeral ceremony in the town of Pirdop, some 80 km east of Sofia September 9, 2009 for the victims of a boating accident in Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. Fifteen Bulgarian tourists drowned
Photo: Stoyan Nenov

Three Macedonian nationals who participated in the impromptu rescue operation, extracting Bulgarian tourists from the Ohrid Lake will be made honorary Bulgarian citizens, said Bozhidar Dimitrov, Minister of Bulgarians abroad.

All three of them had previously applied for Bulgarian citizenship, and their wishes will now be fulfilled. On September 5, 15 Bulgarian tourists drowned in the Ohrid Lake after the Ilinden ship, built in the early 1920s, capsized with nearly 70 people on board.

Five Macedonian citizens who were at the scene offering assistance and first aid will receive the Madara Horseman Order.

"The families of all victims will receive financial compensation as they were insured," said Dimitrov.

Furthermore, Dimitrov said that the cause of the disaster was a combination of factors, notably the obsolete vessel itself and the irresponsible conduct of the local boat administration which had allowed it to be operational in the first place; the insurance company which had issued a warranty for the vessel claiming it was fit for service, and the ship's captain who had allowed the vessel to be crammed beyond maximum capacity.

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