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Swiss cruise ship stranded on Danube River after heavy rains

Swiss cruise ship stranded on Danube River after heavy rains



The passengers have been unable to leave the ship since Saturday, as the gangway leading to the jetty is flooded.


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Passengers on a Swiss river-cruise ship stranded on the Danube following heavy rainfall are still unable to disembark in Vienna due to flooding. The decision is in the hands of the Austrian authorities, Thurgau Travel wrote on Monday.

Due to flooding on the Danube, 102 passengers, most of them Swiss, and 40 crew members must remain on board the Swiss river cruise ship Thurgau Prestige in Vienna. They have been unable to leave the ship since Saturday, as the gangway leading to the jetty is flooded.

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The travel agency Thurgau Travel said on Monday morning that all the passengers on board were fully re-supplied and that the local authorities would decide when the boat could continue its journey or when passengers could disembark.

Onboard ship at least until Tuesday

According to statements made by passengers over the weekend, they have been informed that they should remain on the ship until at least Tuesday, Swiss public radio SRF reported. The Thurgau Prestige was originally scheduled to make a round trip between Linz and Budapest. It is now staying in Vienna until further notice.

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The severe bad weather in Austria had already been forecast by meteorologists last Thursday, but the river trip began anyway on Friday.

“The experts did not expect this to happen,” said Thurgau Travel on Monday, given the fact that, in addition to the Thurgau Prestige, a large number of other river boats are having to wait in Vienna before continuing their journey.

Translated from French by DeepL/gw

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