MSC Opera collided with a Uniworld river boat this weekend when it encountered a mechanical problem.
The vessel was being guided by two tugboats before crashing into the boat and San Basilio Cruise Terminal itself.
ITV News tweeted footage of the collision which shows dozens of people running away:
This is the moment a huge cruise ship crashes into a tourist boat and the dockside in Venice, as dozens of people run away in panichttps://t.co/7ErXUtt6qr pic.twitter.com/xi92IqvAkI
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 2, 2019
Emergency workers reported that a steel cable tying the MSC ship to the towboat snapped, resulting in it losing control.
The Italian media have stated that five people suffered injuries whilst a Uniworld statement revealed more:
“Four guests with minor injuries were escorted to the hospital by Italian-speaking Uniworld staff. No crew members were injured.
The accident occurred after most guests of the 130-passenger River Countess had disembarked and were transferring for flights home.”
It added: “Uniworld’s technical and nautical crisis response team is on the way to Venice to thoroughly evaluate The River Countess and take necessary action.
Guests slated to arrive today have been informed and are under the care of Uniworld who is providing hotel accommodation.”
MSC Opera had departed from Venice on May 26th before sailing to Kotor, in Montenegro, and Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu in Greece, and was returning to the Italian city when the crash occurred.
The cruise ship’s encounter with the Venice port has now sparked more conversation on previous concerns of too many tourists in the city.
In February this year, the Italian council of Venice approved a visitor’s tax, charging day tourists £2.50 (3 euros) for the rest of 2019.
The fee will potentially double next year, allowing the council to “manage the city better and keep it clean” aswell as allow locals to “live with more decorum”.
What do you think of the collision? Have you cruised to Venice before? How do you feel about the tourist tax? Leave us your thoughts and comments below…
How NOT To Get Ripped Off In Venice With water and boats at the heart of this bellisimo Italian city, it’s sure to charm cruise fans. But we don’t want you to fall victim to…
More Cruise Lines Abort Calls To One Destination After Tourist Tax This city’s council will charge €8 per person per 24-hour as part of a new tourist tax! In a statement…
