Boat Sinking in Russia &Ndash; Carelessness or Sabotage?

“River cruises are beloved summer pastime for Russians who sometimes book rides through the country vast inland waterways that last for weeks. Sleeping cabins are common as are restaurants and onboard discos” according to report from New York Times. However, this particular cruise has turned out to be the worst ever in recent times as more than 100 people with many children being victims. The Cruise boat which sank on Sunday 11th July 2011 called the Bulgaria was a vintage 1955 riverboat with two decks, elegant brass fixtures and a ballroom according to archival pictures.

As I read the report on New York Times, what came to my mind was the issue of Sabotage or the carelessness of the crew. The report has it that the passengers manifest was filled haphazardly which to me was the fault of the crew knowing that records for journeys like that are essential in case of any eventuality. Now we have conflicting reports about the real figure of passengers; the survivals and the missing ones. Even when the parents do not want to do so, it is the duty of the crew to make them do it. Now the survivors were mainly adults. Authorities in Russia say there were 208 passengers on board.

Again, according to the report in the New York Times, “President Dmitri A. Medvedev said on Monday that the accident seemed to be the result of poor maintenance and disregard for safety. According to the report we have today, the vessel was in poor condition.” There is now an Investigating Committee to find out any possibility of criminal misconduct.  Report has it that one of the diesel engines has mechanical fault and the sewage tank overfilled.

Now the questions are why will the owners of the boat and the crew gamble with people’s life? Did they not know that their boat is faulty? Why embarked on the cruise when one of their engines has mechanical fault? Is making money at the expense of lives more important to the crew in charge of this cruise boat? These and many more are the questions people are asking world over. In my candid opinion, I will suggest that the survivors among the crew and other who work with this 56 years boat should be prosecuted.

Moreover, there should be a standard for boats that will be used on such cruise as it involves families. A regulatory agency should be put in place not only in Russia but world over to check boats, vehicles and airplanes used in transportation that involves many people. Live is short but humans should not make it shorter by many avoidable mistakes. People who are in transport business should know that safety of lives is more important than money. The Russian government should not take this incident lightly. They should take the investigation seriously because if nothing is done other people in this cruise business will also begin to risk the lives of their passengers.

I sympathize with the families of the victims, the government and people of Russia, and pray for the fortitude to bear this colossus loss of lives. Again to this should be eye opener to Russians and the world at large on the need for safety on our airways, waterways and roads. Let us learn to be more careful in the things we do, avoiding mistakes so the lives could be lived to the fullest. Life is precious, lets handle it with maximum care.