Cruise Ship Carrying 200 Passengers Hits Danube Lock Near Vienna, Injuring 14 People

A river cruise ship carrying about 200 passengers and crew hit a lock on the Danube in Vienna early on Friday, injuring 14 people and damaging the vessel’s bow.

The Anna Katharina struck the lock wall and lock gate at the Freudenau power plant at around 4:30 a.m. while sailing through the Austrian capital. The ship’s bow was damaged, but it did not take on water.

Fourteen people were injured in the collision, emergency medical services said. Six were taken to hospital with back, neck and chest pain, while the others suffered minor injuries, mainly bruises after being thrown against the ship’s interior by the force of the impact. Most of the injured were German nationals.

Firefighters, police and emergency medical teams responded to the scene by land and water. Rescue crews boarded the vessel and used a turntable ladder to evacuate five people, while a fireboat brought two others ashore.

A German paramedic travelling on the ship gave first aid to injured passengers before specialist rescue teams arrived.

After the injured were treated and all passengers were accounted for, the operator transferred the remaining passengers to another river cruise ship so they could continue their journey.

Police have opened an investigation into the collision, and a judicial inquiry is also under way. A police spokesperson said investigators are considering whether a technical defect may have caused the accident.

Witnesses told local media they saw several emergency vehicles from the Vienna Fire Department, police and ambulance services around the lock after the collision.

The Anna Katharina is a 135-metre river cruise ship built in 2019. It has a capacity of 180 passengers and operates cruises on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers.

The vessel remained afloat despite the bow damage, and no water entered the ship. The cause of the collision has not been determined, and the investigation is continuing.

References: thelocal, bluewin