Ship collision – Barge carrying Hableány wreck on its way to Csepel port

The barge carrying the wreck of the Hableány sightseeing boat which sank in central Budapest on May 29 is now on its way to the Csepel port in the south of the city, where it will undergo further examinations, public broadcaster M1 reported on Tuesday afternoon.

The Clark Adam crane, with its work complete, has left its position at Margit Bridge and a pusher has been brought in and hooked to the barge, M1’s on-site correspondent said.

The Hableány will now be examined in the Csepel port by nautical and technical experts, in collaboration with staff members of the prosecutor’s office.

Experts have already begun studying the wreck so that they could make note of any changes that may have occurred in the structure as it was being raised from the river.

Photo: MTI/Illyés Tibor

The Hableány was lifted from the Danube earlier on Tuesday.

During the salvage operation, the bodies of four victims were found. Four further victims are still missing.

One of the bodies recovered was identified as that of the only child on board at the time of the collision, M1 reported.

The Hableány collided with a cruise ship and sank on May 29. It had 33 South Korean tourists on board and a crew of two Hungarians. Seven tourists were rescued from the water after the collision.

The opposition Socialist Party issued a statement expressing its gratitude to everyone who contributed to the salvage efforts. Commenting on the lifting of the wreck, the statement said: “This could bring us closer to uncovering the causes of one of the gravest boat accidents ever seen in Hungary.”

Source: MTI