A Ukrainian captain of a cruise liner was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison in Hungary on Tuesday for his role in a 2019 accident in which his boat hit and sank a smaller vessel on the River Danube, killing 25 South Korean tourists and two crew. One Korean is still unaccounted for.
In the worst disaster on the Danube in more than half a century, the smaller tourist boat, called Mermaid, with 35 people on board, sank after being hit by the cruiser under a bridge in Budapest during heavy rain.
“The accused, C Yuriy is found guilty of ... negligence posing a threat in water transport ... and the court sentences him to five-and-a-half years in prison,” judge Leona Nemeth said when delivering judgment, which can be appealed.
Yuriy, who has been in custody since 2019, told the court he was “deeply sorry” about the tragedy.
“I cannot escape the memories of this terrible tragedy for a minute, I cannot sleep and I think this is what I have to live with for the rest of my life,” the visibly emotional man told the court.
Yuriy was acquitted on a charge of failing to provide help.
Only seven Korean passengers survived the accident.
Ukrainian captain jailed for deadly Budapest boat accident
Image: 123RF
A Ukrainian captain of a cruise liner was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison in Hungary on Tuesday for his role in a 2019 accident in which his boat hit and sank a smaller vessel on the River Danube, killing 25 South Korean tourists and two crew. One Korean is still unaccounted for.
In the worst disaster on the Danube in more than half a century, the smaller tourist boat, called Mermaid, with 35 people on board, sank after being hit by the cruiser under a bridge in Budapest during heavy rain.
“The accused, C Yuriy is found guilty of ... negligence posing a threat in water transport ... and the court sentences him to five-and-a-half years in prison,” judge Leona Nemeth said when delivering judgment, which can be appealed.
Yuriy, who has been in custody since 2019, told the court he was “deeply sorry” about the tragedy.
“I cannot escape the memories of this terrible tragedy for a minute, I cannot sleep and I think this is what I have to live with for the rest of my life,” the visibly emotional man told the court.
Yuriy was acquitted on a charge of failing to provide help.
Only seven Korean passengers survived the accident.
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