Captain of Swiss-registered boat accused in fatal Budapest crash
The Swiss ship Viking Sigyn, anchored in Budapest after the fatal accident
Keystone / Peter Lakatos
At least seven people are dead after a collision with a Swiss cruiser on the River Danube in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday night.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/SRF/sm, ug
The captain of the Swiss vessel has been detained and accused of “criminal negligence”, according to Hungarian justice officials.
Search operations for more the than 20 people, mainly South Korean tourists as well as two Hungarian crew members, still missing have been hampered by high water on Saturday.
There were 35 people on board the “Hableany” (Mermaid) when it collided with the “Viking Sigyn”, which belongs to Basel-based Viking River Cruises. The Hableany sank while Swiss vessel escaped relatively unscathed.
Seven Koreans on the Hableany were rescued and were found in a state of hypothermia. They have been admitted in a hospital and are in a stable condition.
According to the South Korean news agency Yongap, 30 tourists and three guides were travelling through six Eastern European countries on the Hableany. Most of them are in their forties, but a six-year-old child was also on board.
A Viking spokesman told Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA that nobody aboard the Viking hotel ship had been injured. He said that the company was cooperating with the investigation being led by the Hungarian police.
“Investigations by the Swiss representation in Budapest are underway,” the Swiss Foreign MinistryExternal link told Keystone-SDA on Thursday afternoon, noting that there were no reports of Swiss victims.
The South Korean travel company “Verygoodtour” has expressed its condolences and pledged to help the victims and their families. Meanwhile, the South Korean authorities have said they would send a rescue team.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Over a quarter of Swiss Catholics consider leaving the church
This content was published on
In Switzerland 27% of Catholics have thought about leaving the church, according to a survey by the Sotomo research centre.
This content was published on
Following the Credit Suisse debacle, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is adapting its organisation.
This content was published on
The Swiss Armed Forces are training their fighter jets in Bern to fly from a civilian base. The exercise at Bern Airport will last until Wednesday.
Plans materialise for new particle accelerator in Geneva
This content was published on
Preparations for a huge new particle accelerator in Geneva have reached a milestone. After several years of work, a feasibility study for the project has now been finalised.
This content was published on
The value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland currently stands at CHF7.4 billion ($8.4 billion), the Swiss government announced on Tuesday.
This content was published on
The number of business start-ups in Switzerland accelerated in the first three months of the year, with entrepreneurs being particularly dynamic in Central Switzerland, Basel and Geneva.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
No Swiss flag for Aquarius, says government
This content was published on
The Swiss government has rejected calls to allow humanitarian ship ‘Aquarius’ to fly its Mediterranean missions under the Swiss flag.
This content was published on
Bern prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into suspected irregularities surrounding the funding of Switzerland’s merchant navy.
This content was published on
The pilot of the Swiss Crystal cruise ship made a steering error, which led to Tuesday’s accident on the River Rhine near Duisberg, Germany.
This content was published on
The accident happened at the port of Kehrsiten in canton Nidwalden shortly after 9pm. It caused the MS Diamant to spring a leak in the side of the hull, resulting in water rushing into the ship. According to cantonal police, the 163 passengers managed to leave the boat unharmed at the nearby port of Kehrsiten-Bürgerstock. While…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.