Trial Starts In Tatarstan Over 2011 Riverboat Tragedy
A court in the capital of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan has opened hearings into the sinking two years ago on the Volga River of a tourist boat in which 122 people died.
Some 200 witnesses and victims are attending the trial in Kazan.
Five defendants in the trial over the "Bulgaria" sinking -- including a tourist company official, an aide to the ship's captain, and local river transportation safety officials -- have been charged in the case.
The charges include violations of river transportation regulations, violations of safety regulations aboard a vessel, negligence, and mishandling of a river vessel resulting in mass deaths.
The July 2011 tragedy was Russia's worst riverboat disaster in decades.
Some 200 witnesses and victims are attending the trial in Kazan.
Five defendants in the trial over the "Bulgaria" sinking -- including a tourist company official, an aide to the ship's captain, and local river transportation safety officials -- have been charged in the case.
The charges include violations of river transportation regulations, violations of safety regulations aboard a vessel, negligence, and mishandling of a river vessel resulting in mass deaths.
The July 2011 tragedy was Russia's worst riverboat disaster in decades.
