Hableány disaster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sinking of Hableány |
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Hableány seen in April 2017
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 Collision site
Location in Budapest
Location of collision
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| Details | |
| Date | 29 May 2019 9:05 PM CEST (UTC+2) |
| Location | Danube River |
| Coordinates | 47°30′50″N 19°02′42″E / 47.51389°N 19.04500°E |
| Country | Budapest, Hungary |
| Cause | Collision with another vessel |
| Statistics | |
| Passengers | 33 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Deaths | 27 |
| Injured | 7 |
The Hableány (which means Mermaid in Hungarian) was a 27-metre (89 ft) river cruise boat. It operated on the Danube river in Budapest, Hungary.
On the evening of May 29, 2019, a larger ship called the Viking Sigyn crashed into Hableány. This happened under the Margaret Bridge near the Parliament Building. The Hableány sank very quickly, in just 7 seconds. Heavy rain and strong river currents made rescue efforts very difficult. Some people were found far downstream. There were 2 Hungarian crew members and 33 South Korean tourists on board. Seven tourists were rescued right away. Sadly, all the others were later found to have died.
Contents
The Boats Involved
About Hableány
The Hableány was a 27-metre (89 ft) river cruise boat. It was built in 1949 in Kherson, which was then part of the Soviet Union. The boat had two open decks. It could carry 45 passengers for sightseeing trips. In 1980, its engine was replaced. A company called Panorama Deck bought the Hableány in 2003. Since then, it had been used for regular cruises on the Danube river.
About Viking Sigyn
The Viking Sigyn is a much larger 135-metre (443 ft) river-cruising "longship." It is operated by a company called Viking River Cruises. This ship has four decks and 95 rooms. It can carry up to 190 passengers. The Viking Sigyn was quite new, having been launched in March 2019. It was used for cruises along the Danube river.
How the Sinking Happened
On May 29, 2019, at 9:05 PM, the Hableány was hit by the Viking Sigyn. The collision happened under the Margaret Bridge near the Parliament Building. The river here is about 457-metre-wide (500 yd).
There were 35 people on the Hableány when it sank. This included the Hungarian captain and a crew member. There were also two South Korean tour guides and 31 South Korean tourists. The tourists were on a two-week trip in Eastern Europe.
Police looked at CCTV footage from nearby cameras. They saw that the Hableány turned into the path of the Viking Sigyn. The Hableány was moving towards the left riverbank to let passengers off. The Viking Sigyn had been traveling alongside it. The seven people who were rescued had not been wearing life vests. Some people said that tour companies often did not provide life vests on these cruise boats. All seven survivors were thrown from the upper deck of the boat.
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total | Fatalities | Missing | Survivors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 33 | 0 | 33 | 25 | 1 | 7 |
| Hungary | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 33 | 2 | 35 | 27 | 1 | 7 |
Rescue Efforts
Police and ambulance services arrived at the crash site very quickly. They got there about ten minutes after the boat overturned. Search and rescue efforts began right away. Over 200 divers and medical staff arrived within a few hours.
The rescue was very difficult because of the weather. The Danube river had very high water levels due to heavy rain. There were also strong winds. The water temperature was cold, about 10 to 12 °C (50 to 54 °F). The fast-moving water, reaching speeds of 9 to 11 kilometres per hour (5.6 to 6.8 mph), made it hard to see underwater. This stopped divers from going inside the sunken Hableány to find more people.
Seven South Korean tourists were pulled from the water. They were taken to hospitals for hypothermia (being too cold) and shock. Most of them were later allowed to go home. Seven bodies were also found in the river. These were identified using fingerprints. At first, 19 tourists and the two crew members were still missing. Some rescued passengers were found further downstream. One person was found near the Petőfi Bridge, about 3 kilometres (2 mi) away. One body was found 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) downstream almost 2.5 hours after the crash.
Five days after the collision, a big diving operation started. Divers found an eighth body. The head of the search efforts said that divers would do everything they could. However, entering the wreckage was too dangerous for them. Another body was found on the same day in Harta, 110 kilometres (68 mi) downstream from Budapest.
Over the next few days, more bodies were found. Some were recovered from the ship itself. Others were found further down the Danube river. These locations included Kulcs, Adony, Ercsi, Rákóczi Bridge, Érd, and the Liberty Bridge. One of the victims found near the Liberty Bridge was a crew member of Hableány. By June 9, 2019, 20 victims had been found. Seven passengers and the Hungarian captain were still missing.
More bodies were found in the following weeks. On June 12, a male victim was found between Bölcske and Madocsa. On June 22, a body was found near Csepel Island. On July 5, another body was found in the Makád area. All these were identified as victims of the Hableány disaster.
The authorities tried to lift the Hableány from the river. This was difficult because of the high water levels. A large floating crane, the Clark Ádám, was brought in. It had a 200-ton lifting capacity.
Salvage Operation
The Clark Ádám crane vessel was used to lift the sunken ship. On June 11, the lifting work began. The crane slowly raised the boat from under the Margit Bridge. This was shown live on television.
Less than 30 minutes into the work, the ship's steering room appeared. Divers went in to search. They found a body, believed to be the Hungarian captain. By 8:30 AM, four bodies had been found. Three of these were believed to be South Koreans, including a six-year-old girl. The boat was then placed onto a barge. After that, the Hableány was taken to Csepel Island for further checks by police and experts.
Investigation and What Happened Next
Police investigated the collision. They looked at what happened and gathered information. Based on expert opinions, the police found that the captain of the Hableány was not responsible for the collision.
The captain of the Viking Sigyn, Yuri Chaplinsky, was the only person suspected of causing the crash. He was a 64-year-old man from Ukraine. The court case against him started in March 2020. Prosecutors said he was "distracted" right after his ship left its mooring. They also said he did not use his radio or send out emergency signals.
See also
In Spanish: Naufragio del Hableány para niños
