Updated: New Danube River Boat Disaster: Body of Last Victim in Verőce Boat Accident Recovered

  • 29 May 2024 9:08 AM
  • Hungary Matters
Updated:  New Danube River Boat Disaster: Body of Last Victim in Verőce Boat Accident Recovered
The body of the last victim missing after a boat accident that took place on the River Danube at Verőce last weekend has been recovered, police said on Facebook on Monday evening.

The 18-year-old woman’s body was found in the area of Verőce, the police said.

In the accident late on May 18, the victims’ motor boat collided with a cruise ship. One of the boat’s eight passengers managed to swim ashore whereas seven died.

The cruise ship’s captain, a Czech national, was detained on suspicion of failing to provide help after the collision.

An investigation has found that the helmsman of the boat was drunk and steering the boat in zig-zags across the river.

Before the collision, the motor boat took a sharp turn but the ship ended up crushing the much smaller vessel nonetheless, the police said.

Earlier: 

Body of Sixth Victim in Verőce Boat Accident Recovered

The body of the sixth victim in a boat accident that happened on the River Danube at Verőce last weekend has been recovered, police said on Facebook.

The man’s body was discovered near Szigetújfalu (on Csepel Island), the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) said. In the accident the victims’ boat collided with a cruise ship.

One of the boat’s eight passengers managed to swim ashore, six died and one is still missing.

The cruise ship’s captain, a Czech national, was detained on suspicion of failing to provide help to the boat after the collision.

An investigation has found that the helmsman of the boat was drunk, steering the boat zig-zagging across the river, and straight in the direction of the ship.

Before hitting the ship the boat took a sharp turn but a collision could not be avoided, the ship crushing the much smaller vessel, the police said.

Body of Fourth Victim in Verőce Boat Accident Recovered


The body of the fourth victim in boat accident that happened on the River Danube at Verőce on Saturday, has been recovered, the police reported on Facebook.

The 28 year old woman’s body was discovered near Sződliget, the police said. In the accident the victims’ boat collided with a cruise ship. One of the boat’s eight passengers managed to swim ashore, four died and three others are still missing.

The cruise ship’s captain, a Czech national, was detained on suspicion of failing to provide help to the boat after the collision.

An investigation has found that the helmsman of the boat was drunk, steering the boat zig-zagging across the river, and straight in the direction of the ship.

Before hitting the ship the boat took a sharp turn but a collision could not be avoided, the ship crushing the much smaller vessel, the police said.

New Danube River Boat Disaster: Search on for 5 After Accident Claims 2 Lives

Two people have died and a search is under way for three men and two women after a boat accident on Saturday evening which took place on the River Danube near Verőce, north of Budapest, the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) said on its website on Sunday, adding that police were working under the assumption that a small motor boat and a cruise ship had collided.

Police were called to the scene when a disorientated man was discovered with a bleeding head near the main road in Verőce. After questioning, they concluded the man was the victim of a boat accident.

Police and search and rescue staff immediately began searching the area using drones and river craft.



Soon after a man’s body was found on the river bank south of Verőce, while hours later a woman’s body was at Megyeri Bridge on the Danube alongside a damaged motor boat.

Meanwhile, a damaged cruise ship was stopped upriver at Komárom and police have mounted an inspection of the cruise ship and the boat.


MTI Photo: Csaba Krizsán

Criminal proceedings are under way in connection with an unidentified perpetrator on suspicion of endangering river safety and causing the death of several people. Altogether, eight adults were on the motor boat, with three men and two women currently missing.



Police said on its website on Sunday afternoon that the search was still ongoing for the missing people with the help of 95 search and rescuers and 25 boats.

A police helicopter, staff of the Pest County Research and Rescue Service, and volunteers of rescue organisations are also involved.

The operation is being coordinated from the Danube river police headquarters in Kopaszi peninsula in southern Budapest.



On Monday, the police arrested the captain of the cruise ship on suspicion of failing to provide help to passengers in the boat after the collision.

Czech Captain of Cruise Ship in Fatal Verőce Collision Under Police Surveillance

The captain of a cruise ship, a Czech national, has been ordered to stay at his place of residence in Hungary until September 22 over charges of alleged negligence in a fatal accident on the Danube river that claimed two lives over the weekend, a Budapest regional court said.

The captain was taken into custody on Monday after his ship had collided with a small motor boat near Verőce, north of Budapest, in the night of May 18.

A man and a woman out of the eight passengers on board the boat died while another male passenger who swam ashore survived the accident. A search is still under way for the remaining five passengers, three men and two women.

Police have launched proceedings against the cruise ship’s captain over negligence leading to several deaths and other crimes. The Czech national has a residence registered in Hungary.

Meanwhile, Budapest police BRFK said that body of a young man, who was on board the small boat has been recovered. The body was discovered between Vác and Sződliget.

The 19-year-old man is the third victim of the collision that has already claimed the lives of a man and a woman.

A search is still under way for another two men and two women.

Out of the altogether eight adults who were on board the motor boat one male passenger sustained head and shoulder injuries but survived and swam ashore.

He was later found disoriented on the river bank at Verőce. The man received urgent medical care and was taken to hospital.

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