The captain of Viking Sigyn, a 64-year-old Ukrainian national, has been charged with ‘reckless misconduct in waterborne traffic leading to mass casualties’ after Sigyn collided with the much smaller Hableany, or Mermaid, on the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary, last Thursday.
Through his legal team, the Captain has formally protested his detention and denied violating any rules, citing his 44 years of experience without incident or accidents.
Seven people from the Hableany have been confirmed dead, with a further 21 passengers and crew of the boat missing. Thirty South Korean tourists and three tour guides, as well as two Hungarian crew, were on board the Hableany.
In a statement, Viking Cruises said:
“The Viking river ship Sigyn was involved in a collision with another vessel – a Hungarian tourist ship – on the Danube River in Budapest [on 29 May].
“Sadly, there have been reports of fatalities and we offer our heartfelt condolences to those affected by this tragic accident. There were no injuries to Viking crew or Viking guests. We have been and continue to cooperate fully with the authorities while they undertake their investigations.”
