On Friday, a European river cruise ship, Phoenix Reisen’s M.S. Anna Katharina, hit the wall of a lock on the Danube River in Vienna, injuring multiple passengers and damaging the ship’s bow. The hull remained intact and the ship did not take on any water following the crash. According to reports, the incident happened at 4:30 a.m. and 14 passengers—mostly German nationals—sustained light injuries from the collision. Six passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment.
There were roughly 200 passengers and crew on the ship, which happened at the Freudenau lock in Vienna. Police have launched an investigation into the crash. Authorities report that a technical malfunction may have caused or contributed to the crash, but no further information is yet available.
Anna Katharina was built in 2019 and has a capacity of 180 passengers. It is 443 feet long and primarily cruises on the Danube, Rhine, and Main Rivers in Europe. Owned by Scylla AG, a Swiss river cruise operator that charters ships to companies such as Phoenix Reisen, Riviera Travel, and VIVA Cruises.
Due to the incident, the remainder of the cruise has been cancelled, and Phoenix Reisen is assisting passengers with travel arrangements.
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