The captain of the cruise ship that rammed and sank a smaller ship on the Danube near Budapest in 2019 was sentenced to five years and six months in prison at first instance in Hungary on Tuesday. The accident killed 25 South Korean tourists and two crew members. A missing person has never been found.
The court convicted the Ukrainian captain of negligently endangering shipping traffic and causing a fatal accident. However, he was not prosecuted for failure to provide assistance.
Captain broken: ‘I have infinite regrets’
After the decision was announced, the captain said in a weak voice that he had not been able to sleep at night since the tragedy. His condolences go out to the deceased and their family members. He deeply regrets that all this happened with his involvement. Attorney Gabor Toth criticized what he saw as the inability to present various pieces of evidence, such as the use of radar. Toth had demanded acquittal for his client.
Tourists and crew members on the boat had no chance
The accident occurred on May 29, 2019 near the Margaret Bridge in Budapest when the cruise ship Viking Sigyn rammed the smaller boat named Nixe during an overtaking maneuver and continued sailing unaided, sealing the fate of the crew and tourists. The small ship sank within seconds. Only seven occupants of the boat survived the collision.
Charges were filed against the Ukrainian captain on suspicion of negligently endangering shipping traffic resulting in death. The trial has been running since November 2019, with long breaks between the trial days due to Corona.
Source: Krone
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