Police said the ship had just cast off early today from the town of Erlangen on its way to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, along the Main-Danube Canal when the accident occurred.
The dead were a 49-year-old who was at the wheel of the vessel and a 33-year-old sailor.
Police say the 181 passengers and 47 other crew members on the short-lived voyage were unhurt. They remained aboard the ship for hours until rescue workers could extend a rescue bridge.
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