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Moment tourist boat is hit by floating hotel in Budapest river tragedy

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This is the tragic moment a river cruise ship crashed into and sank a smaller tourist boat in a tragedy that killed at least seven people.

A further 21 people are missing and officials say there is little hope of finding anyone else alive after the accident on the Danube River.

CCTV footage shows the 442ft Viking Sigyn floating hotel in collision with the 89ft Mermaid on the busy thoroughfare in Budapest.

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It is close to the Parliament building and happened amid torrential rain in the Hungarian capital.

The Mermaid boat, carrying 33 South Korean tourists and two local crew, sank within seconds.

Police said none of the bodies they had recovered were wearing life jackets.

Seven people were rescued from the icy waters and are now in a stable condition in hospital suffering with hypothermia.

A rescue boat is seen on the Danube rver after tourist boat capsized??in Budapest, Hungary, May 29, 2019. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

Rescuers say they do not believe they will find any survivors (Picture: Reuters)

epa07611440 Firemen sit in a rubber dinghy preparing to the search for victims next to a landing dock after a tourist boat crashed with another ship, overturned and sank in the River Danube, in Budapest, Hungary, 29 May 2019, killing at least three of the 34 people onboard, mostly tourists from Eastern Asia. EPA/Zsolt Szigetvary HUNGARY OUT

Heavy rains have raised the water levels of the Danube (Picture: EPA)

Officials in Hungary said a criminal investigation had been launched and South Korea is sending its own team to help with the relief efforts.

Pal Gyorfi from the Hungarian national ambulance service added: I am not inclined to say there is no hope, so I would rather say there is minimal hope (of finding survivors)

This is not just because of the water temperature, but the strong currents in the river, the vapour above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in.

The accident happened underneath the Margit Bridge.

Police spokesman, Col Zsolt Gabor Palotai, said: Both ships were heading north and when they arrived between two pillars of the Margit Bridge, for some reason, the Mermaid turned in front of the Viking ship.

As the Viking comes into contact with it, it overturns it and in about seven seconds, as it turned on its side, it sank.

epa07611330 Rescuers stand on the bank after a ship overturned and sank in River Danube in Budapest, Hungary, late 29 May 2019. The rescue is underway as according to media reports there were 34 people on the board of the boat. EPA/Zoltan Mihadak HUNGARY OUT

South Korea has said it will send help with the rescue effort to Hungary (Picture: EPA)

epa07611390 An undated file photo of the boat Hableany in River Danube with the Parliament building in the background in Budapest, Hungary (issued 29 May 2019). The boat crashed with another ship, overturned and sank in the River Danube late Wednesday, 29 Ma</br><a href=https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/30/moment-tourist-boat-hit-floating-hotel-budapest-river-tragedy-9744746/><strong>Read More – Source</strong></a></p>
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