Latest news on the boat collision on the Danube: captain detained, affected hotel ship has left the country – VIDEO

The police have taken into custody the captain of a cruise ship that collided with a boat on the River Danube near Verőce, in northern Hungary, over suspicion of failing to provide help to the small boat’s passengers.

Two people died in the collision on Saturday night, while a search is underway for another three men and two women. Out of the altogether eight adults who were on board the motorboat, one male passenger sustained head and shoulder injuries but survived and swam ashore. He was later found disoriented on the river bank at Verőce. The man received urgent medical care and was taken to hospital.

According to the police’s website, the captain failed to alarm his crew after the collision. “He did not take any measures to rescue people needing help, nor did he stop his ship.”

The police have so far questioned 25 people, including the crew of the cruise ship, passengers, and people who may have witnessed the collision, according to the website.

The captain is of Czech nationality.

They have not given up the search

Shortly after the captain’s arrest, police posted on their Facebook page that they were looking for five more people.

Those still wanted are: an 18-year-old woman and a 28-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man, a 30-year-old man and a 39-year-old man. Rescue teams are still out today. There were eight people on the boat. A 35-year-old man swam ashore. The bodies of a 39-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman were found,

the post informed.

The Budapest Police Headquarters is asking all those on the Danube and near the shore, sportsmen, fishermen and hikers to call 112 immediately if they notice anything that could be connected to the accident.

The captain remains, the ship has left the country

In response to a question from index.hu, traffic lawyer Zoltán Borbély drew attention to two important elements:

Following the accident, at the beginning of the investigation, experts will examine the ship involved and document the technical equipment of the hotel ship in addition to the damage. If these have been done and the captain has not claimed a technical fault at this point, the ship will not be seized in this case,” the lawyer said.

According to press reports, the vessel was fully inspected and presumably had no technical defects, so it was allowed to leave port in a legal manner.

The Danube is currently still predominantly a manual navigation route, with captains, not artificial intelligence, navigating the waters. This also means that radars, infrared sensors and all kinds of technical equipment are available to captains when they are sailing. However, it would be unrealistic for the captain of the Heidelberg not to be able to detect a collision at all. On a vessel of this size, even the smallest obstacle can be detected.

• Read more details: Horrific boat collision close to Budapest, multiple casualties – VIDEO, PHOTO GALLERY, UPDATES

UPDATE 4

Boat collision on the Danube: they are still being searched by rescue teams – photos