On Wednesday, May 29th, a boat carrying tourists across the Danube River collided with another watercraft and sank in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Seven people have been declared dead while 21 people are still missing.
The vessel was composed of 33 South Korean tourists and tour guides, as well as two Hungarian crew members.
The collision took place at around 9:00 PM local time and may have been a result of the recent rainfall in Budapest, which has been associated with stronger currents on the Danube. The boat sank near the Hungarian Parliament Building.
According to a 31-year-old passenger, “The current was so fast and people were floating away.”
It is unknown which boat is responsible for the collision. A criminal investigation was commenced.
An ongoing search operation on the Danube has rescued seven people. According to Hungarian emergency services spokesman, Pal Gyorfi, the survivors were transported to a hospital with reported “hypothermia and shock symptoms.”
According to rescue teams, there is minimal hope regarding a chance to locate more survivors in the river.
Budapest police stated, “Those contributing to the search will continue to do everything possible … along the full Hungarian stretch of the Danube’s coasts in the interests of locating the missing persons.”