May 19th 2024.
The search for five missing passengers continues as authorities work to piece together a tragic incident on the Danube River. It all started on Saturday evening when a small motor boat collided with a cruise ship, resulting in the death of two people and leaving five others unaccounted for.
According to Hungarian police, the crash was reported after a man was found on the riverbank with a head wound. He was discovered near Veroce, a town located 34 miles north of Budapest. Nearby, the body of a man was also found, and further downstream, the body of a woman was recovered. Investigators later found the damaged motor boat near the woman's body, close to a bridge on the outskirts of Budapest.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, disaster response units have been actively searching for the five missing passengers. With the help of drones, boats, and rescue divers, they are scouring the area in hopes of finding any signs of the three men and two women who were on the small motor boat.
Soma Csecsi, a spokesperson for Budapest police, shared that initial investigations suggest that the man found on the riverbank was likely a victim of a boat accident. He also noted that at the time of the crash, a cruise ship was in the vicinity and has since been identified as the 109-metre-long Heidelberg, operated by a Swiss company.
At this point, little is known about the passengers on the Heidelberg and whether any of them were involved in the incident. Police have stopped the ship more than 50 miles upriver and are working to gather more information.
An investigation has been launched to determine if anyone is criminally liable for the crash. Authorities are looking into the possibility of an "unknown perpetrator" who may have endangered water transport and caused the death of several individuals.
Sadly, this is not the first time such a tragedy has struck the Danube River. Back in 2019, a river cruise boat carrying mostly South Korean tourists collided with a larger cruise ship, resulting in the death of 27 people. The captain of the larger ship was later found guilty of negligence and sentenced to prison.
As the search continues for the missing passengers and the investigation unfolds, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those affected by this devastating incident. May they find comfort and strength during this difficult time.
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