7 S. Koreans dead, 7 rescued, 19 missing in Hungary cruise boat sinking
- 5 years ago
Some breaking news this afternoon. A boat carrying a group of Korean tourists sank in the Danube river in Budapest on Wednesday, local time. There are at least seven deaths, and many others missing.
For more on this, we have our Yoon Jung-min in the studio with us.
Jung-min, what's the latest.
Right Ji-yoon.
According to Seoul's Foreign Ministry, seven passengers have been rescued and seven people are dead,... while a search and rescue operation is underway for 19 others who are missing.
On Wednesday night at around 9 p.m., local time, a tourist boat carrying 33 South Koreans and two crew members capsized after a collision with another cruise boat on the Danube river in Budapest.
Reuters says the Danube is flooding with strong currents, and heavy rain there makes rescue efforts difficult.
Due to the rain, the water level is very high, and since the accident happened at night, that is also making the rescue more difficult.
That's very worrying. So who are most of the victims? Were they on board for just a trip?
It seems so. A local travel agency held a briefing this morning,.. and said most of them were on a trip, some of them for a family trip.
Most victims are said to be in their 40s and 50s,... and the youngest on board is said to be a six-year old.
For more details on the passengers, the travel agency is working with the foreign ministry to confirm the information.
Okay so we have somewhat of an understanding of the situation,... and what is the South Korean government doing at the moment? I hear President Moon Jae-in has even cleared his one lunch appointment he had today.
Right.
President Moon Jae-in was previously scheduled to hold a lunch meeting with over twenty public servants, to show his appreciation for their service today at the top office,... but-- that has been postponed as the president is monitoring the situation in Budapest minute-by-minute.
This is the presidential spokesperson earlier today.
"President Moon Jae-in instructed the government at 4AM this morning to use every possible means to rescue the South Korean tourists whose boat overturned in Budapest in Hungary,... in cooperation with the local authorities."
And we were also told that the president was briefed on the incident by his head of the National Security Office Chung Eui-yong on the situation unfolding there.
And earlier the president had ordered the formation of a government-level response team,... led by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha,... who also canceled one of her appointments this morning to focus on the situation overseas.
The Korean government is also sending a dispatch team today to Hungary at one PM.
Alright. That was the response from the government.
Also, we heard a briefing from the travel agency this morning. Tell us more about that, too.
...
For more on this, we have our Yoon Jung-min in the studio with us.
Jung-min, what's the latest.
Right Ji-yoon.
According to Seoul's Foreign Ministry, seven passengers have been rescued and seven people are dead,... while a search and rescue operation is underway for 19 others who are missing.
On Wednesday night at around 9 p.m., local time, a tourist boat carrying 33 South Koreans and two crew members capsized after a collision with another cruise boat on the Danube river in Budapest.
Reuters says the Danube is flooding with strong currents, and heavy rain there makes rescue efforts difficult.
Due to the rain, the water level is very high, and since the accident happened at night, that is also making the rescue more difficult.
That's very worrying. So who are most of the victims? Were they on board for just a trip?
It seems so. A local travel agency held a briefing this morning,.. and said most of them were on a trip, some of them for a family trip.
Most victims are said to be in their 40s and 50s,... and the youngest on board is said to be a six-year old.
For more details on the passengers, the travel agency is working with the foreign ministry to confirm the information.
Okay so we have somewhat of an understanding of the situation,... and what is the South Korean government doing at the moment? I hear President Moon Jae-in has even cleared his one lunch appointment he had today.
Right.
President Moon Jae-in was previously scheduled to hold a lunch meeting with over twenty public servants, to show his appreciation for their service today at the top office,... but-- that has been postponed as the president is monitoring the situation in Budapest minute-by-minute.
This is the presidential spokesperson earlier today.
"President Moon Jae-in instructed the government at 4AM this morning to use every possible means to rescue the South Korean tourists whose boat overturned in Budapest in Hungary,... in cooperation with the local authorities."
And we were also told that the president was briefed on the incident by his head of the National Security Office Chung Eui-yong on the situation unfolding there.
And earlier the president had ordered the formation of a government-level response team,... led by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha,... who also canceled one of her appointments this morning to focus on the situation overseas.
The Korean government is also sending a dispatch team today to Hungary at one PM.
Alright. That was the response from the government.
Also, we heard a briefing from the travel agency this morning. Tell us more about that, too.
...