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Ilinden ship to be recovered from Lake Ohrid

Wed, Sep 16 2009 10:37 CET

byNick Iliev

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Ilinden ship to be recovered from Lake Ohrid

Photo: Pool

The operation surrounding the extraction of the Ilinden ship from the Lake Ohrid commenced early on September 16, said Georgi Iliev from the national investigatory service, quoted by Dnevnik daily.

Macedonian frogmen were deployed at about 3am Bulgarian time to survey the vessel, whereas the operation proper is set to commence at 11am.

Bulgarian experts were also dispatched to Ohrid and are expected to arrive there at noon in time for the operation. The extraction operation itself is expected last two days. Once the wreck is recovered, it should shed some light on the reason it capsized in the first place.

The ship will be recovered by the Croatian company Dubina which was selected for the task by the Macedonian transport ministry.

Ilinden capsized on September 5 2009 with about 70 people on board, most of them Bulgarian tourists, killing 15 Bulgarians.

According to Bozhidar Dimitrov, Minister of Bulgarians abroad, the disaster was caused by factors, notably the outdated vessel and the irresponsible conduct of the local boat administration who allowed it to be operational in the first place; the insurance company which had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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Comments

Anonymous Parker Norris Wed, Oct 28 2009 01:28 CET
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Anybody familiar with Lake Ohrid realizes a culture of anarchy prevails during the summer months. The culpable parties also include other boat captains, the local police along with the port administration.


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