Ukrainian boat captain found guilty in Hungary for the 2019 Danube collision that killed at least 27

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The captain of a river cruise boat that collided with another vessel in Hungary’s capital in 2019, killing at least 27 people, mostly South Korean tourists, has been found guilty of negligence and sentenced to five years and six months in prison. A judge says the negligence of the Ukrainian captain, Yuriy Chaplinsky, had caused his river cruise boat, the Viking Sigyn, to collide with a tourist boat from behind, causing it to sink into the Danube River within seconds. The court acquitted Chaplinsky of 35 counts of failure to render aid. Seven South Koreans were rescued from the water in the heavy rain following the collision, and 27 people were recovered dead including the two-member Hungarian crew. Chaplinsky and the prosecution have appealed the verdict.