2009 Lake Ohrid boat accident
Encyclopedia
On 5 September 2009, the Ilinden sightseeing boat with a group of 57 foreign tourists on board, of which 55 were Bulgarian
, sank in Lake Ohrid
, southwestern Republic of Macedonia
. 15 lives were lost. The sinking of the Ilinden was the deadliest boat accident in the history of the Republic of Macedonia.
Lake Ohrid is the deepest lake in the Balkans
, with maximum depth of 288 metres (944.9 ft). The Ilinden boat was taking tourists to the Saint Naum Monastery
. The boat, made in 1924, had a maximum capacity of 45 passengers. It sank within four minutes, some 200 metres from the shore, in shallow waters. The boat is said to have sunk around 11:00 AM local time, in the vicinity of the Elešec camping site. Two other boats, the Alexandria and the Kristina, were nearby at the time and were able to assist the passengers of the Ilinden. Most of the tourists on board were senior citizens, many of whom were unable to swim. Victims were from Pirdop
, Zlatitsa
, Chelopech
and particularly Anton
.
The Republic of Macedonia's top officials visited the place of the accident. Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov
ordered that a Bulgarian government aeroplane bring the surviving Bulgarians back home. Another aeroplane, a Bulgarian Air Force
C-27J Spartan, transported the corpses of Bulgarian victims. The Minister of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of Macedonia Mile Janakievski offered his resignation over the accident due to moral reasons, which was not accepted by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski
.
6 September was declared a national day of mourning
in the Republic of Macedonia. Similarly, 7 September was declared a national day of mourning in Bulgaria and all official events related to the celebration of the Bulgarian unification
on 6 September were cancelled. A minute of silence was observed before Macedonia and Bulgaria's 2010 FIFA World Cup
qualifiers later on 5 September and against Scotland and Montenegro.
A nongovernmental organization, the Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje
proposed to Mayor Aleksandar Petreski of Ohrid the erection of a monument commemorating both the victims of the accident and those whose courageous help saved many lives.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, sank in Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance...
, southwestern Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. 15 lives were lost. The sinking of the Ilinden was the deadliest boat accident in the history of the Republic of Macedonia.
Lake Ohrid is the deepest lake in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, with maximum depth of 288 metres (944.9 ft). The Ilinden boat was taking tourists to the Saint Naum Monastery
Sveti Naum
The Monastery of Saint Naum is an Eastern Orthodox monastery in the Republic of Macedonia, named after the medieval Saint Naum who founded it. It is situated along Lake Ohrid, south of the city of Ohrid....
. The boat, made in 1924, had a maximum capacity of 45 passengers. It sank within four minutes, some 200 metres from the shore, in shallow waters. The boat is said to have sunk around 11:00 AM local time, in the vicinity of the Elešec camping site. Two other boats, the Alexandria and the Kristina, were nearby at the time and were able to assist the passengers of the Ilinden. Most of the tourists on board were senior citizens, many of whom were unable to swim. Victims were from Pirdop
Pirdop
Pirdop is a town located in South-West Bulgaria of Sofia Province in the southeastern part of the Zlatitsa - Pirdop Valley at 670 m above sea level. It is surrounded by the Balkan Range to the north, Sredna Gora Mountain to the south, and Koznitsa and Galabets saddles to the east and west,...
, Zlatitsa
Zlatitsa
Zlatitsa is a town in southern Bulgaria located in the Zlatitsa-Pirdop valley, between Stara Planina to the north and Sredna Gora to the south at 680 meters above the sea level. It is situated immediately south in the lap of the Zlatitsa -Teteven Mountain...
, Chelopech
Chelopech
Chelopech is a village in the western part of Bulgaria. It is the only village in the Chelopech Municipality, Sofia Province.- Geographical outline :...
and particularly Anton
Anton, Bulgaria
Anton is a village in western Bulgaria, part of Sofia Province. It is the administrative centre of Anton Municipality, which lies in the easternmost part of Sofia Province. Anton is situated in the Zlatitsa–Pirdop Valley, 80 kilometres east of the capital Sofia...
.
The Republic of Macedonia's top officials visited the place of the accident. Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov
Boyko Borisov
Boyko Metodiev Borisov is a Bulgarian politician who has been Prime Minister of Bulgaria since July 2009. Previously he was Mayor of Sofia from 8 November 2005 until his election as Prime Minister....
ordered that a Bulgarian government aeroplane bring the surviving Bulgarians back home. Another aeroplane, a Bulgarian Air Force
Bulgarian Air Force
The Bulgarian Air Force is a branch of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, to provide aerial support and to assist the Land Forces in case of war. The Bulgarian Air...
C-27J Spartan, transported the corpses of Bulgarian victims. The Minister of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of Macedonia Mile Janakievski offered his resignation over the accident due to moral reasons, which was not accepted by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski
Nikola Gruevski
Nikola Gruevski has been Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia since 27 August 2006. He has led VMRO-DPMNE since May 2003. He was Minister of Finance in the VMRO-DPMNE government led by Ljubčo Georgievski until September 2002.- Personal life :...
.
6 September was declared a national day of mourning
National day of mourning
A national day of mourning is a day marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by that nation's government...
in the Republic of Macedonia. Similarly, 7 September was declared a national day of mourning in Bulgaria and all official events related to the celebration of the Bulgarian unification
Bulgarian unification
The Unification of Bulgaria was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated by the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee...
on 6 September were cancelled. A minute of silence was observed before Macedonia and Bulgaria's 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
qualifiers later on 5 September and against Scotland and Montenegro.
A nongovernmental organization, the Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje
Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje
The Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje is a non-governmental organization in the Republic of Macedonia established on 4 May 2008, and registered on 22 May 2008. Its executive board is chaired by Lazar Mladenov...
proposed to Mayor Aleksandar Petreski of Ohrid the erection of a monument commemorating both the victims of the accident and those whose courageous help saved many lives.