Boat captain charged over capsizing tragedy, as conditions hinder search for 21 missing passengers

Boat captain charged over capsizing tragedy, as conditions hinder search for 21 missing passengers

The captain of a river cruise vessel that crashed into another tourist boat in Hungary has been charged over the incident that killed seven people, as rescue teams continue to search for those still missing.

A Budapest court official said the Ukrainian captain of the Viking Sigyn had been charged but shared no further details, and the captain’s lawyer said he has been denied bail, according to Al Jazeera.

The 70-year-old Mermaid sightseeing boat, which was carrying 33 South Korean tourists, capsized and sank on the Danube River last week after colliding with the Viking Sigyn cruise ship.

Seven people have been confirmed dead, with 21 still missing.

CCTV footage of the moment the boat capsized has emerged online, which can be viewed below.

ABC News reported that divers entered Danube River on Friday but weren’t able to examine the boat wreckage due to murky water and strong currents, with Hungarian officials saying it could take days to complete the recovery mission.

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