The deadly collision between the Hableany tour boat and the
Viking Sigyn in Budapest was the second involving a Viking river ship this
season, and at least the third involving a river cruise ship in Europe in less
than a year.
The collision Wednesday happened as the vessels were
going under a bridge during a rainy night in fast-running waters on the Danube,
reported the Associated Press.
The AP quoted police as saying the smaller tour boat
carrying 33 Korean tourists appeared to veer into the Viking ship, tipping and
sinking within seconds of being hit. Seven people were killed and 21 others
were missing, authorities said. Seven others were rescued. None were wearing
life jackets, the AP reported.
A Viking spokesman confirmed their ship was involved in a
fatal collision but gave few other details. "We offer our heartfelt condolences to those affected
by this tragic accident," the spokesman said. "There were no
injuries to Viking crew or Viking guests. We have been and continue to
cooperate fully with the authorities while they undertake their investigations."
HVG, a Hungarian news portal, quoted a captain with 27 years
of experience on the Danube as saying it had only been a matter of time before
such an accident occurred on the river in Budapest, which is crowded at night
with cruise ships and smaller vessels sailing to see the city’s famed
Parliament and other buildings illuminated.
It was the second collision for a Viking ship this season.
In April, the Viking Idun collided with a cargo vessel while sailing through
Belgium in April. And last October, Crystal River Cruises' Crystal Bach was hit
by a cargo vessel while it sailed overnight on the Rhine, damaging windows in
the Waterside Lounge and in some suites. No guests were injured in either
collision.
Still, collisions between river cruise ships and the many
cargo and other vessels that ply Europe’s waterways have been relatively rare,
although the number of cruise ships has risen dramatically in recent years.
According to the 2018 annual report from Central Commission
for the Navigation of the Rhine, Europe’s river cruise fleet more than doubled
between 2004 and 2017, with 346 active
ships with 50,616 beds sailing in 2017. Dozens have been added since, although
some older vessels have also been removed.
They share the river with thousands of other ships. The
CCNR says more than 13,000 inland vessels were registered as active vessels in
the Rhine and Danube basins in 2016 and 2017, about 75% of which are cargo
ships.
And while Europe’s rivers are getting busier, a report from
the German Waterway and Shipping Administration and the Ministry of Transport
indicates collisions have declined dramatically.
Its analysis of accidents in Germany on the Main,
Main-Danube-Canal and Danube show the number of collisions dropped from 1,000
in 1993 to 650 in 2013, largely due to improvements in technology, the CCNR
report said.
Citing the German statistics, CCNR said the most frequent
collisions involved boats hitting bridges. Less than 20% of the accidents
involved vessels hitting each other, and most involved small pleasure vessels.
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Correction: The Viking Idun collided with a cargo vessel in Belgium.
This report was updated on Thursday afternoon to add Viking's statement.