Ship collision – Captain of cruise ship in detention – UPDATE
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The Ukrainian captain of a cruise ship which collided with a sightseeing boat in central Budapest was detained after he was questioned as a suspect, police have said.
The sightseeing boat with 33 South Koreans and two Hungarian crew on board capsized and sank on Wednesday evening. The dead bodies of seven passengers have been found, while 21 people are still missing, police said.
Following an on-site inspection of the cruise ship, investigators working in cooperation with nautical experts seized evidence, police said.
The 64 year-old captain of the Viking Sigyn cruiser was questioned under suspicion of causing the mass disaster and was detained, the statement added.
Budapest’s 6th and 7th district prosecutor later on Friday initiated the captain’s arrest, the Budapest prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The Municipal Court of Budapest is expected to decide on the arrest on Saturday, the prosecutor’s office added.