As of: March 30, 2024, 5:02 p.m
By: Hannes Niemeyer
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A cruise ship had an accident on the Danube in Austria. There were several injured people, some of whom were treated in hospital. The cause seems clear.
Aschach an der Donau – moment of shock on the Danube. A serious accident occurred in Austria late on Friday evening. An inland cruise ship with 142 people on board crashed into a concrete wall. Numerous people were injured.
Cruise ship with numerous Germans on board crashes - several injured
The ship flying the Bulgarian flag was traveling from Passau to Linz. The accident occurred a few kilometers from Linz, near the town of Aschach an der Donau in the Eferding district. At around 10 p.m. the ship crashed into a wall in a lock area. The fire brigade, rescue service, police and water police responded with a large contingent. The shipping inspectorate was also on site.
The 142 passengers on board the cruise ship included mostly passengers from Germany. 17 people were injured in the impact. According to the police, eleven of them had to be treated in hospital. The emergency services have already stated how the accident could have happened.
A cruise ship crashed into a concrete wall in the lock area in Aschach an der Donau © Team Fotokerschi / Martin Schari / dpa
“Suddenly unable to maneuver”: Cruise ship crashes into lock wall on the Danube
The ship suddenly became unable to maneuver in the lock area and crashed into a concrete wall, the police said. The captain immediately pressed an emergency switch. He was able to start the electronics again and control it out of the lock. The shipping inspectorate only found sheet metal damage to the side walls. The cruise ship therefore continued towards Linz. The only damage to the lock was caused by concrete abrasion.
The accident shows frightening parallels - although of course on a smaller scale - to the drama that recently unfolded in Baltimore. There a container ship drove into the supporting pillar of a large bridge. It collapsed and cars crashed into the water. Several people died. Here, too, there are some indications in the investigation into the cause that the ship could have been unable to maneuver for a short time after a power failure.
(han)