The trial in a lawsuit brought against two boat operating companies by the survivors and families of the victims of a deadly boat collision on the River Danube in 2019 got under way in Budapest on Friday.
The 78 plaintiffs are seeking more than 4 billion forints (EUR 11.2m) in compensation from the operators of the two boats involved in the disaster.
The Viking Sigyn cruise ship collided with the Hableany sightseeing boat which had 33 South Korean tourists on board and a crew of two Hungarians. Seven tourists were rescued from the water after the collision and the rest died. One of the bodies has not been recovered.
The Ukrainian captain of the Viking Sigyn was charged with fatal negligence and failing to provide assistance to persons in danger in connection with the collision in November 2019.
The survivors and families of the victims argue that the collision had been the result of violations committed with the boats operated by the defendants, the Budapest Municipal Court said in a statement.
The operators of the Hableany and the Viking Sigyn disputed the plaintiffs’ arguments. The court said it has postponed the preliminary hearing at the request of the defendants to March 25.
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Source: MTI
