MS Heidelberg cruise ship collision on Danube results in 2 killed and 5 missing
2 individuals were killed and 5 others remain missing following a collision between a small motorboat and a cruise ship (MS Heidelberg) on the Danube River, north of Budapest, on Saturday night, May 18, according to Hungarian police on Sunday.
Disaster response units, comprising 95 personnel, 25 vessels, and drones, are actively searching for the 5 missing individuals along the entire Hungarian section of the Danube downstream from the collision site, stated the police.
Budapest police spokesperson Soma Csécsi confirmed that 8 adults were aboard the small motorboat at the time of the incident.
The collision came to light on Saturday night when a man with a bleeding head wound was found near a main road by the river close to Verőce, 55 km (34 miles) north of Budapest. Police concluded from initial communications with the man that he was likely involved in a boating accident.
The body of a man was found south of Verőce, and a woman’s body was later discovered downstream near a bridge on the northern outskirts of Budapest. The damaged motorboat was also recovered in this area.
A cruise ship present in the vicinity during the accident, the Swiss-based ms Heidelberg, was detained in Komárom. Police noted damage on the side of the vessel, including large scratches on the bow.
A criminal investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the collision and to establish whether any criminal liability is involved, according to Csécsi.
Forrás: cruisemapper.com
