MS Anna Katharina Hits Vienna Lock, Injuring 14 Passengers
The July 24 allision occurred as the ship carried about 200 passengers and crew from Bratislava toward Austria’s Wachau region; one lock chamber was later under repair.
The river cruise ship MS Anna Katharina struck a quay wall and lock gate at Vienna’s Freudenau lock on the Danube early Friday, injuring 14 passengers and causing major damage to the vessel’s bow. Six passengers were taken to local hospitals for checks after reporting back, neck and chest pain, while eight others were treated at the scene; rescue officials reported no life-threatening injuries and no one went into the water.
The July 24 allision cut short a Danube sailing carrying about 200 passengers and crew as the ship traveled from Bratislava toward Austria’s Wachau region. After the impact, emergency crews secured the vessel, inspected the hull and confirmed the ship remained stable before passengers were transferred for onward travel.
Passengers transferred after early-morning response
Vienna firefighters responded with ladder equipment and removed several people from the vessel’s deck. The hospitalized passengers were discharged within hours, while those treated on site did not require further emergency care.
Photographs from the scene showed the forward section of Anna Katharina crushed inward near the bow. The vessel was later secured along the shore, and remaining passengers were moved to another river cruise vessel or other transfer arrangements as the original sailing ended early.
Authorities examine possible technical failure
The cause of the impact has not been confirmed. A judicial inquiry is under way, and authorities are expected to take a statement from the ship’s 49-year-old captain as part of the investigation.
“The possibility that a technical defect may have been the cause of the accident is currently being considered,” a police spokesperson told the Austrian outlet Heute.
Early local accounts described the ship as moving at high speed when it hit the lock structure, but authorities had not issued final findings. Neither Phoenix Reisen nor Scylla AG had made a public statement on the incident.
The vessel and lock involved
Anna Katharina is a 2019-built, Swiss-flagged river cruise ship measuring 135 meters, or 443 feet, with capacity for about 180 passengers and roughly 40 crew. The 3,600-GT vessel has 90 cabins and operates on European river itineraries, including routes on the Rhine, Main and Danube waterway system.
The ship is associated with Scylla AG’s river-cruise operating platform and Phoenix Reisen programming. Baar, Switzerland-based Scylla operates a fleet of about 40 river cruise ships chartered to European tour operators including Phoenix Reisen, Tauck and Riviera Travel, as well as VIVA Cruises.
The Freudenau lock is part of the Vienna-Freudenau hydroelectric power plant and a major Danube navigation point in the city. One lock chamber was under repair after the impact, while shipping continued through the other chamber. No public repair timetable or confirmed cancellation schedule for later Anna Katharina departures had been released.
