Two Dead After Viking River Boat Strikes Bridge
by Daniel McCarthyPhoto: Rolf Heinrich, Köln
Two crewmembers from Viking Riving Cruises’ Freya were killed last weekend when the ship struck a bridge in southern Germany.
The ship, which was traveling along the Main-Danube Canal early on Sunday, was on its way to Budapest from Erlangen when its top hit a bridge, killing two crewmembers—a 49-year-old and 33-year-old—in the driver’s cabin.
The impact crushed the cabin and both men had to be freed by firefighters. None of the other 228 people on board was injured.
Police are still investigating the crash. The ship’s deck can be moved depending on the height of bridges on the river, though it’s not clear whether it was lowered or raised at the time of the crash.
“We are heartbroken, and company executives are on the scene to work closely with local authorities to understand the details of the accident,” Viking said in a statement.
Passengers onboard were given the option of moving to another riverboat or returning home after the accident.
