Horror Crash on the Danube
How 200 Passengers Narrowly Escaped Disaster
These images give a sense of the sheer force behind the accident: During an on-site inspection, the “Krone” newspaper saw the heavily damaged bow of the “Anna Katharina.” The river cruise ship crashed at full speed into the quay wall and a lock gate near the Freudenau lock around 4 a.m. on Friday.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen The front section of the ship was severely damaged in the collision with the Freudenau lock. The images look catastrophic. This makes it all the more fortunate that, although there were around 200 people on board, “only” 14 passengers sustained minor injuries. “There were no seriously injured people; no one was in critical condition,” reported rescue spokesperson Daniel Melcher.
Six of them had to be taken to Donauspital for further treatment but were discharged by mid-morning. They complained of pain in their backs, chests, and necks. No one went overboard, and no one was seriously injured.
An on-site inspection clearly reveals the extent of the damage to the bow. The front section of the ship is severely damaged. Given the images, it can truly only be described as a miracle that the collision did not have far more serious consequences.
A Narrow Escape from Disaster
There are no regular passenger areas at the very front of the ship. Behind that is a glass-enclosed interior area, which was likely not heavily occupied at the time of the accident in the early morning hours. Likely, there were also very few people on the outdoor deck in front of it at the time of the accident in the early morning hours.
Pictures published by the shipping company on Instagram (see below) also show just how impressive the ship looked before the accident. The photos give a glimpse into the elegant interior of the river cruise ship—and thus stand in stark contrast to the current images of the destroyed bow.
Investigations into the circumstances of the accident are ongoing
Emergency responders, including the Vienna Professional Rescue Service with its special operations unit, were alerted around 4 a.m. The fire department first checked whether anyone might be in the water and secured the ship. The emergency responders also checked whether the violent collisions had caused holes in the hull, allowing water to enter. According to initial reports, this was not the case.
Investigations are currently underway regarding the suspicion of negligent bodily injury. The exact circumstances leading to the accident are still unclear. The captain—a 49-year-old Polish man—will be questioned by police on Friday. According to information from “Krone,” a technical malfunction is believed to have caused the accident.
Reminder of a Fatal Boating Tragedy
The accident brings back memories of a far more severe shipping tragedy at Freudenau: On October 22, 1996, the Slovakian push boat “Ďumbier” (see photo) was involved in an accident there.
Eight sailors lost their lives in the accident; only one crew member, who was seriously injured, was rescued.
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