Accident on the Elbe
19 injured in ferry accident: captain punished
November 12, 2025 – 16:29Reading time: 1 minute.
19 passengers were injured in a ferry accident on the Elbe in Hamburg. The captain had to answer in court – and was punished.
The Hamburg district court has sentenced the Elbe ferry captain to a six-month suspended prison sentence. The 48-year-old man was found guilty of 19 charges of negligently endangering shipping traffic and negligent causing grievous bodily harm.
The skipper was piloting a passenger vessel with 27 passengers at Norderelbe on January 20. According to the court, he did not use the radar system properly despite thick fog and limited visibility. While crossing the fairway, their ship approached a push convoy with paired motor carriers and push barges.
Despite radio contact with the ship’s captain of the pusher convoy, the captain did not steer his ship to starboard in time. In the ensuing collision, 19 passengers suffered injuries such as cuts from broken glass, bruises and bruises. One person was seriously injured.
Material damage to the barge amounted to approximately 6,500 euros. The ferry Hadag suffered 650,000 euros worth of damage.
