Two people are confirmed dead while five others have gone missing after a cruise ship and a small motor launch collided with each other in the Danube River near Hungary's capital city of Budapest on Saturday, May 18.
Local police officials said the incident occurred in the late evening (local time) of Saturday when a cruise ship struck the unnamed launch as it was transiting the Danube.
Authorities first learned of the collision after an adult male suffering from head injuries was pulled out of the water near Veroce, a village some 55 kilometres north of the capital. Police later confirmed that this individual was one of the occupants of the motor launch.
The bodies of two individuals who were also on the launch were found in the stretch of the Danube between Veroce and Budapest during a search and rescue (SAR) operation that involved 95 personnel, 25 vessels, and drones.
The SAR effort will continue in an attempt to locate any trace of five other people who were on the smaller boat at the time of the incident.
Reuters reported that on Sunday, May 19, police in the town of Komarom located further along the river detained the Swiss-flagged cruise ship Heidelberg after scratches and other signs of damage were identified on its bow.
Officials believe Heidelberg was the cruise ship involved in the collision with the motor launch and that the vessel did not stop and instead continued sailing following the mishap.
A police spokesperson said that an investigation has been launched to determine whether the collision was the result of negligence on the part of the cruise ship crew.
