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Putin Blames 'Greed' For Russia Boat Tragedy


Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin lays flowers at Kazan's river port, the final point of departure for the "Bulgaria" cruise ship.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin lays flowers at Kazan's river port, the final point of departure for the "Bulgaria" cruise ship.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has blamed "irresponsibility and greed" for a riverboat accident that has killed at least 113 people.

"It is terrible that we have to pay such a price for irresponsibility, negligence, greed, [and] gross violations of technical safety rules," Putin said at a meeting with government officials in Kazan, the capital of the Tatarstan region, four days after the tragedy.

Officials said 20 people were still missing and were presumed dead as divers neared the end of their search of the tourist boat that sank on the Volga river on July 10.

Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the sinking of the crowded old boat.

Reuters

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