The salvage operation to raise the sunken tourist boat from the bed of the Danube has begun.
ADVERTISEMENTA salvage operation to raise the sunken wreckage of a Hungarian tourist boat from the bed of the Danube has begun.
The Mermaid boat capsized and sank last month after colliding with a Swiss-owned cruise ship under a bridge in Budapest.
Dozens of tourists from South Korea were killed alongside two crew members in what was described as the worst disaster in 50 years on the river.
On Tuesday, a floating crane lifted the wreckage to the surface, pausing briefly to allow a team to search for the captain's body from the deck.
The wreckage is set to be placed on another boat, which will be handed over to police for an investigation.
Of the 28 people who died in the incident, only 20 bodies were immediately recovered.
Four more bodies were pulled out of the Danube on Tuesday, during the salvage operation.
South Korean tourist Lee Seung Hwan, who was next to the river, said: "“I sincerely hope the missing bodies can be retrieved and brought back to their families to rest."
An investigation into the details leading up to the crash is currently underway.
Hungarian police are currently treating the 64-year-old captain of the cruise liner as a suspect, but he maintains that there was no wrongdoing.