Viking Tor in Accident on Danube

It appears that this morning the Viking Tor has been in an accident on the Danube, just upstream from Bad Abbach in Bavaria (near Regensburg). The ship collided with a railway bridge and is jammed against it cross-ways. Passengers have been evacuated with no injuries. Here are some photos:

 

http://www.epa.eu/disasters-photos/transport-accident-photos/tour-ship-average-on-the-danube-river-photos-52837660

 

http://www.epa.eu/disasters-photos/transport-accident-photos/tour-ship-average-on-the-danube-river-photos-52837660

Wow - I'm glad no one was injured but now it appears that the river is blocked! It sure looks like (and I know photo angles can be deceiving) that the ship had no clearance. I hope they can get the ship straightened out quickly and that it has no significant damage. I think that when a ship hits a bridge in the states, the entire bridge structure needs to be inspected. If that is the same rule in Germany (and I would think it would be), I wonder how long it will take to re-open the bridge and the river.

I doubt they were trying to go under the bridge, looks more like they were attempting a turn and underestimated the strength of the current...

It is a few kilometres after leaving the Main-Danube-canal. It happened in the dark and the bridge is just before a lock. Perhaps just a bit too little clearance? A local newspaper report talks of strong currents in that area. The report says the ship scraped one of the pillars and then came to a halt sideways to the river. What you can see in the photos. It does sound then as if the current was at least part of the problem. All the people on the boat were brought to land safely by ambulance crew, fire brigade and local water police.

 

All passengers are in good shape and some have even calmed down enough to call the whole event "slightly fascinating".

 

Helpers of the water police are now trying to keep debris - large branches for example - away from the ship (it could damage the hull). More than 200 helpers were still at the scene at the time the newsreport was written.

 

After safety checks the railway line has been reopened to traffic, but the river is still closed to traffic.

 

The police are investigating.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 19, 2016 by notamermaid
Spelling

Second time in 2 days! Viking Bragi rammed another bridge in the same county on Saturday.

Yup, thank you UKBayern.

 

Just found the report and posted it.

 

notamermaid

Update: due to the notoriously strong currents around the bridge it appears that righting the Viking Tor (it has got a slight list) and pulling her free from the bridge is difficult. She cannot do it with her own engines. There is talk of using the Viking Bragi lying nearby after her accident on Saturday to pull the Viking Tor to safety.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 19, 2016 by notamermaid
additional information

Update: due to the notoriously strong currents around the bridge it appears that righting the Viking Tor (it has got a slight list) and pulling her free from the bridge is difficult. She cannot do it with her own engines. There is talk of using the Viking Bragi lying nearby after her accident on Saturday to pull the Viking Tor to safety.

 

I'm not surprised, I can't claim any experience with ships of that size but I've got a lot of time on 72' narrow boats and once you get broadside on to the channel near a bridge like that you very quickly become aware of just how strong the force of the water gets and bow/stern thrusters are not going to help...

I'm not surprised, I can't claim any experience with ships of that size but I've got a lot of time on 72' narrow boats and once you get broadside on to the channel near a bridge like that you very quickly become aware of just how strong the force of the water gets and bow/stern thrusters are not going to help...

 

The current is going to be very strong due to the abudant amount of rainfall we have had in our region in the last couple of weeks.

The Viking Tor made the main news in Germany at 8pm yesterday. A short video report showed the "Aquarium class" windows half way below the waterline (that must have been due to the slight list). At the end the report said that the ship had in the meantime been freed.

 

marinetraffic.com showed the Viking Tor at Regensburg this morning.

 

The Danube has been reopened to traffic. The ship is indeed docked at Regensburg and will sail empty to Linz, where it will be decided whether the ship will re-enter normal service (local news report). If you are interested, the Freiwillige Feuerwehr Kelheim-Stadt e.V. (the fire brigade involved in the rescue operation) has posted photos on facebook.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 20, 2016 by notamermaid
additional information

http://www.mittelbayerische.de/region/kelheim/gemeinden/badabbach/zweites-schiff-kollidiert-mit-bruecke-21081-art1393387.html

 

According to this article, the passengers were in an upbeat mood after their initial shock. Viking organized day tours for them by bus until a decision on the ship could be made. The article was published before this decision.

Yes, Floridiana, The passengers recovered quite quickly, that is also what I read. A local newspaper reporter was at the scene during the whole rescue operation and has written an article on it: http://www.bad-abbacher-kurier.de/bad-abbach/4152-havariertes-schiff-ist-frei

 

It says that several institutions of a technical nature had to be consulted. The Viking Tor got the list as she was pushed onto the sandbanks at the base of the pillars. Wood was placed in front of the windows to reduce the risk of them being pushed in by debris. That of course would have meant water in the ship's hull. To be avoided by all means possible.

 

A pusher boat, also called a tow boat, of the name "Paula" came to the rescue and pulled the Viking Tor back into a parallel position. To ease the rescue operation the Danube river level was further raised by closing a wear. The pressure on the Tor due to the high water level was 270 tons!

 

It only worked at the second attempt.

 

The passengers and part of the crew were already in Regensburg by then.

 

Floridiana, the article you have linked has a further link of the Viking Bragi accident. I will post it in the other thread.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 20, 2016 by notamermaid

This could be the same railroad bridge or same vacinity anyway that Tauck Treasures AMS-BUD had only 4-6" of clearance two weeks ago. We were told earlier in the evening that water levels were high and a very low bridge would be tricky during the night. In the morning came the info that as we approached a train began crossing which would settle the bridge a couple of inches lower so we had to back up and wait, then "shoot through" which was successful. Most excellent captain and wonderful trip.

 

I was in an "aquarium class" cabin and the water level is indeed close to the windows in the best of circumstances.

 

Glad everyone is safe and sound. Regensberg a lovely place to be "Stranded."

Wow, a detail I would not have thought of, but it makes perfect sense. The weight of a train can weigh down a bridge and if you have only got an inch of headroom...

 

I am glad all went well, tamsno, and that you had a wonderful cruise.

 

A local newspaper has published online a follow-up report on the two accidents. I have linked to it in the thread of the Viking Bragi accident.

 

notamermaid

...as we approached a train began crossing which would settle the bridge a couple of inches lower so we had to back up and wait, then "shoot through" which was successful. Most excellent captain and wonderful trip...

Yes, two factors working here. 1)The train load will push down portions of the bridge structure. 2)Speed will push water from the boat causing slight settling of the boat; Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas (both slightly larger than the average river boat:rolleyes:) ran at 20 knots under the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, giving them an extra foot of clearance over the dead slow clearance of nominally one foot. Personally I'd still be thinking "I sure hope engineer who told me this knows what he's talking about, because otherwise this 220,000 GR ton ship is going to be in one BIG collision."

 

Sounds like your Captain was on top of things.

 

Thom

This could be the same railroad bridge or same vacinity anyway that Tauck Treasures AMS-BUD had only 4-6" of clearance two weeks ago. We were told earlier in the evening that water levels were high and a very low bridge would be tricky during the night. In the morning came the info that as we approached a train began crossing which would settle the bridge a couple of inches lower so we had to back up and wait, then "shoot through" which was successful. Most excellent captain and wonderful trip...

 

 

Do they close off the top deck to passengers during these close call bridges?

Do they close off the top deck to passengers during these close call bridges?

 

I would presume all cruise lines do just that. I only have experience on Uniworld...the sun deck is cleared of passengers, the sun shades are lowered and the bridge is lowered so that only the captain's head is sticking out higher than the railings on the sun deck. It is quite something to see and experience from the front seating area (which is lower than the sun deck) on some of their ships.

Edited June 22, 2016 by capriccio

From a Viking longship

 

here the pilot house has been lower for a 'sort of low' passing. In these conditions we were sometimes allowed to stay on the top deck but warned to stay seated . . . I have a video of such a passing . . . it seemed like the structure brushed my hair . . . umbrellas are down, but chairs and rails are still up. There was about 8 feet of clearance in these situations (Danube btw). The master is standing at the side controls in a 'hole' .. the side controls lower with the pilot house.

 

 

later the roof would be much lower (Budapest to Nuremberg trip ..) and in preparation the top deck had everything folded flat .... when going under, the pilot house would extend less than 2 feet up from the deck ... When I took the picture we were not near a low pass so the pilot house is up ... the top deck is closed when the railings are down..

 

Edited June 22, 2016 by Capt_BJ

low bridge on Danube video

 

Actually the video shows a lock ;).

 

The bridges on the Canal are even lower. There they ships usually have to flatten down the rails and all chairs on the sun deck.

 

Of course no one is allowed up there.

 

The pilot house goes down too. The wing bridges are lower than the pilot house so they can steer from there. Some pilot houses also do have an opening in the roof.

 

steamboats

I'm supposed to be on the Tor in September. You would think that any damage would have been repaired long ago. No reason to worry about the ship?

We were on the Tor in December. All is well.

 

 

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