Cruise ship heading for Arnhem crashes into German bridge; Dozens hurt
Dozens of people were injured when their cruise ship crashed into a pillar of a bridge near Duisburg in Germany on Boxing Day. The accident happened on the Rhine. The ship was on its way to Arnhem in the Netherlands, the Gelderlander reports.
The exact number of injured passengers is unknown. The Telegraaf reports that 25 people were hurt. Other sources say 30. According to the Telegraaf, four people had to go to hospital with serious injuries. No one is in life threatening danger, according to the German police.
There were 129 people on board the ship, called Swiss Chrystal - 103 passengers and 26 crew members. The passengers are mainly from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It is not known whether any Dutch were hurt.
The bow of the ship was damaged in the collision. Firefighters helped with the rescue mission. Another cruise ship came to take in the passengers. The shipping company, Swiss company Scylla, sent another ship to continue the journey, and the travel organization arranged hotels and transport for people who rather want to go straight home.
The bridge the Swiss Chrystal collided with forms part of the A42 highway, according to the Telegraaf. The highway is still closed. On Wednesday experts will test the strength of the bridge.
The Swiss Chrystal was built in 1995 and underwent major renovations in 2007.
