Seven South Korean tourists died and 21 others are missing after a sightseeing boat sank in driving rain on the Danube river in the heart of Budapest, officials said Thursday.
The boat capsized near the parliament building in the Hungarian capital after a collision with a larger cruise boat on Wednesday evening, officials and media reports said.
Army divers joined police in the hunt for survivors, which continued through the night.
The search operation has been extended the length of the Danube in Hungary, officials said, as weeks of heavy rainfall has led to high water levels and a fast-moving current, complicating rescue efforts.
Local media reported that one body was found several kilometres south of the site of the sinking, although this was not confirmed by the emergency services.
A total of 33 South Koreans including 30 tourists and three guides were on board the Mermaid, Seoul’s foreign ministry said, confirming the seven dead were Korean.
The youngest on board was a six-year-old girl, travel agency officials said.
The 26-metre boat was also carrying two Hungarian crew members when it went down at 9:15 pm (1915 GMT).