Monday, 1 April 2024

When a river cruise goes horribly wrong



River cruising is a delightfully chilled way to explore Europe - with vessels docking in the centre of fascinating destinations.

No waves. No seasickness. No massive crowds waiting to disembark on a tender.

But river cruising can still be dangerous, as some unfortunate travellers discover this weekend.

At least 17 people suffered injuries after a river cruise ship slammed into a wall on the River Danube, Travel Mole reports.

The incident happened at the pretty town of Aschach an der Donau (above) in Upper Austria.

Local media reported that it is thought the vessel lost power and crashed into a wall beside a lock.

The Bulgarian-flagged vessel was carrying around 142 mostly German passengers from Passau in Bavaria to the Austrian city of Linz.

Officials said 11 people were taken to hospital with various injuries, while another six with minor injuries were treated at the scene.

The Kronen Zietung newspaper reported that some objects on board toppled over and were thrown around after the accidents. Many passengers were having dinner in the dining room and some fell off their chairs due to the violent jolts. Others suffered cuts from broken crockery and glasses.

"Sixteen ambulances and an emergency doctor were ordered to the scene of the accident and firfeighters illuminated the terrain," said District Rescue Chief Philipp Wiatschka.

"Fortunately, there was no panic on board. "We separated the passengers on the ship into injured and uninjured and transported them to hospitals in Wels and Linz."

The Plantours ship was later able to continue its journey to Linz.

Image: Upper Austria Tourism


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