Bratislava: Floating Restaurant Tears Free and Crashes into Ship

Bratislava, December 25 (TASR) – Firefighters had their hands busy in Bratislava on Tuesday with a floating restaurant in the Danube River that was pulled free of its anchor and collided with a ship, TASR learnt on the same day.

The Knajpa floating restaurant tore off from its anchor located between a shopping mall on the left bank of the Danube River and the Apollo Bridge. On its way downstream, it collided with a Romanian ship and was torn asunder into two pieces. “During the crash, a great number of floating wooden debris became stuck between the rudder and propeller, which called for additional action on part of the firefighters,” said Zuzana Farkasova of the Firefighter and Emergency Corps Presidium.

Almost two dozen firefighters were despatched to help, attempting to anchor the floating parts of the restaurant for several hours in cooperation with the Transport Authority and the Waterways Department of the Police Corps Presidium.

“Finally, the firefighters managed to catch both parts of the torn-up pontoon and anchor them on the left bank close to the Jarovce Branch of the Danube River,” added Farkasova.