Tourist boat capsizes on Danube, 7 Koreans die
Print Edition
Hungarian rescue officials said there was little chance of finding survivors after a boat with South Korean tourists onboard sank on the Danube river in Budapest, with seven people confirmed dead and 21 missing.
The sightseeing boat Mermaid was cruising on the river when it collided with a larger luxury passenger boat Viking Sigyn during a rainstorm on Wednesday evening, causing it to capsize and sink with 33 Korean tourists and tour guides onboard and two Hungarian crew.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say there is no hope, rather that there is a minimal chance (of finding survivors),鈥 Pal Gyorfi, spokesman for the Hungarian national ambulance service, told the M1 state broadcaster.
鈥淭his is not just because of the water temperature, but (also) the strong currents in the river, the vapor above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in.鈥
Police said the smaller boat turned on its side and sank within seconds of the collision under a bridge near Hungary鈥檚 parliament building.
They said a criminal investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident. Police declined to say if the bigger vessel, the 135-meter Viking Sigyn, put out any signals for help.
Heavy rains have left the Danube in spate and local flooding and strong currents hampered rescuers, one diver told M1. The water temperature in the river was 10 to 12 degrees Celsius, he said.
Officials said the hull of the Mermaid, a 27-meter double-decker river cruise boat, had been found on the riverbed a few hundred meters from its usual mooring point.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban offered his condolences to Seoul. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the authorities would work with the Hungarian government to investigate the cause of the accident. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 most important is speed,鈥 Moon said.
The foreign ministry said 30 South Korean tourists, including at least one child, three South Korean tour guides and two Hungarian crew were on board when the accident occurred at around 9pm.
Seven South Koreans were rescued, seven died and 19 others were among the 21 missing, said Kang Hyung-shik, foreign ministry official.
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