Mystery Surrounds Bulgaria Phantom Carriers in Ohrid Tragedy

Society | September 6, 2009, Sunday // 17:03
Mystery Still Surrounds Bulgaria Carriers in Ohrid Tragedy: Mystery Surrounds Bulgaria Phantom Carriers in Ohrid Tragedy Touristic boats stay anchored at the Ohrid harbor Sunday in the aftermath of the tragedy in which 15 Bulgarians drowned. Photo by BGNES

The tourist company that transported the Bulgarian tourists to the Ohrid Lake, site of the tragic Saturday incident, in which 15 Bulgarians drowned, is "Fara Tour."

The information was reported Sunday by Bulgaria's Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The company belongs to ethnic Turks, the family couple, Yusuf and Aishe Solakovi. The Bulgarians were transported to Macedonia by the "Klyunchev" carrier, but the company "Solak Tour", also owned by Solakov, had been involved in the trip's organization, Tsvetanov said, adding "Solak Tour" did not have a tour operator's license.

Early Sunday morning, the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, in a joint action with the "Business Police" has conducted a check-up of the "Solak Tour" offices at the central bus station in the southern city of Kardzhali.

A representative of the company told the inspectors that "Solak Tour" had sold the bus used to transport the group to the Ohrid Lake to "Klyunchev", but since the later failed to regularly make payment deposits, the ownership had not yet been transferred to him, but he used the bus anyway.

Another check-up established that neither had a tour operator's license along with the two companies registered to Klyunchev's wife - Boryana Georgieva.

At the moment, teams from the Commission for Consumers' Protection are in the southern town of Dimitrovgrad, trying to reach representatives of the Klyunchev company.

The Bulgarian Tourism Act provides that only tour operators can prepare a travel package with the destination, carrier company, and accommodations and are mandated to supply health insurance.

When inspectors visited the Klyunchev office Saturday, the y found it locked. Klyunchev is reportedly in Ohrid, but is refusing to give media statements.

The inspectors, however, found out that the office's official address is actually an apartment in a residential building and there are no signs indicating a company is housed there.

Teams from the Commission for Consumers' Protection had also visited the town of Krichim where Solak Tour is officially registered only to find out again that there is no office, but a residential building housing some of Solakov's relatives.

The investigation is continuing.

In the mean time, the mayor of Pirdop, one of the towns where the tourists came from, said that the buses of the "Klyunchev" company were in bad condition and he had been notified many times about it, adding the bus that was used to travel to Ohrid had been in better condition.

The company is one of the main carriers for people from the region to Sofia, the mayor said, and explained that thee was a recent incident when a wheel fell from the bus while moving.

According to the Mayor, people agreed to travel without medical insurance because they were unaware they had the right to have it.

The Pirdop Town Hall has trained psychologists available to help the friends and the relatives of the victims.

 

 

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