Hungarian river cruiser lifted from the Danube

Hungary's special forces oversaw the operation to bring the wreck of the Hableany to the surface of the River Danube in Budapest on Tuesday. 

Four more bodies were recovered as the recovery operation began and crews looked in parts of the boat for the last victims. A huge floating crane was used to lift the stricken vessel slowly to the surface and on to a barge. As each level of the boat surfaced, it was searched. 

"Now we will make further checks,"spokesman Nador Jasensky said. "There could be further victims."

Recovery efforts had been hampered by high springtime water levels, strong currents and near-zero visibility under the waterline.

Worst accident in 50 years

The worst accident on the river in half a century left 26 South Korean tourists and two Hungarian crew dead when a large cruise liner hit the Hableany under the Margit Bridge during heavy rain at the end of May. 

The Ukrainian captain of the larger boat, the Viking Sigyn, has been held on suspicion of endangering water transport, although he denies he did anything wrong.

The boat is owned by the Swiss-based Viking Cruises. It left Budapest less than 48 hours after the collision and has since returned to Hungary on a scheduled trip in Visegrad, north of Budapest, according to police.

jm/rc (Reuters, AP)

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