Video: River cruise ship crashes into Amsterdam bridge; Passengers evacuated
A river cruise ship collided with the Amsterdamsebrug over the Rijnkanaal in Amsterdam overnight. The upper part of the ship was damaged in the process, and passengers were eventually evacuated. One crew member sustained minor injuries, Veiligheidsregio Amsterdam-Amstelland, the office that oversees the local emergency services, reported on X.
According to local broadcasters AT5 and NH Nieuws, the A-Rosa Sena was sailing south from the IJ towards the Amsterdam Rijnkanaal when it hit the bridge. The vessel was en route to Utrecht, then continuing to Cologne.
The 135-meter-long vessel managed to pass under the bridge and dock a little further up the waterway. Emergency services boarded the ship to check that everyone was okay. A few hours after the collision, the ship lost power, and the emergency services decided to disembark the passengers.
A spokesperson for the Veiligheidsregio told local media that the evacuation of over 200 passengers took some time. Many passengers were asleep. They had to be woken, then helped across a small dike towards the public road. The shipping company organized a bus to take the passengers to their destination.
The Amsterdamsebrug was closed for some time after the collision. But after inspection, it was deemed safe and reopened for traffic.
The A-Rosa Sena sails under the Swiss flag and can carry up to 280 passengers.
