Rescue workers scoured the Danube River in downtown Budapest Thursday for 21 people missing after a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean tourists sank in a matter of seconds after colliding with a larger cruise ship during an evening downpour.
Seven people are confirmed dead and seven were rescued, all of them South Koreans, Hungarian officials said. Hungary's Human Resources Minister Miklos Kasler said four of those rescued have been released from the hospital, while the remaining three are being treated in satisfactory condition. Police launched a criminal investigation into the incident.
The South Korea-based Very Good Tour agency, which organized the trip, said the boat — a 70-year-old vessel built in the former Soviet Union — had been on its way back after an hour-long night tour on Wednesday when the accident happened.
Nineteen South Koreans and two Hungarian crew members — the captain and his assistant — are missing. The tour party had consisted of 30 tourists, two guides and a photographer on a package tour of Europe.
The sunken boat was located early Thursday near the Margit Bridge, not far from the neo-Gothic Parliament building on the riverbank.
Video shown by Hungarian police showed the sightseeing boat, identified as the Hableany (Mermaid), traveling closely side by side and in the same direction as a German-built Viking cruise ship as they approached the bridge Wednesday night.
The Hableany then appeared to steer slightly to its left, into the path of the 135-meter (443-feet) long cruise ship, which continued to sail on at the same speed. The two collided and the sightseeing boat was then seen tipping on its side between the bridge's two supports.
"As the Viking comes into contact with (the Hableany), it overturns it and in about seven seconds, as it turn on its side, it sinks," Police Col. Adrian Pal said.
Pal said it's unclear what caused the Hableany to steer into the path of the Viking. He said several people aboard the Hableany fell into the water after the collision. The South Korean government said none of those on board was wearing a life jacket.
Police said rescue operations were hampered by the rain and the fast flow of the rising Danube. The search for the 21 missing extended far downstream, even into Serbia, where the Danube goes after leaving Hungary.
The river, which is 450 meters (500 yards) wide at the point of the accident, was fast-flowing and rising as heavy rain continued in the city. Water temperatures were about 10 to 12 degrees Celsius (50-53 Fahrenheit).
Hajoregiszter.hu, a local ship-tracking website, lists the Hableany as having been built in 1949 in the former Soviet Union.
CCTV footage recorded on Wednesday night showed that the river was busy with boats of different sizes traveling in both directions.
Budapest has enjoyed a boom in overseas tourism in recent years. Long-haul flights from as far away as Dubai and Beijing increasingly fly visitors from Asia and the Middle East to the Hungarian capital, a relatively affordable but history-rich European destination.
Earlier, the news website Index.hu said one of those rescued was found near the Petofi Bridge, which is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) south of Parliament.
Police have questioned the Ukrainian captain of the Viking ship, but no details have been released. Authorities said both vessels' captains are experienced, with many years of service with their companies. South Korean officials said the tourists were not wearing life jackets.
Relatives and a team of 25 official rescue workers were on their way from South Korea to Budapest Thursday. The team of fire, navy and coast guard workers includes some who had been involved in rescue operations for the 2014 South Korean ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people — one of the country's worst maritime accidents.
Seoul's presidential Blue House said President Moon Jae-in has called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss rescue operations. Moon thanked Orban for the Hungarian government's rescue efforts, and requested further support for efforts to find the missing, treat the survivors and recover bodies.
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