A towering, out-of-control cruise ship rammed into a dock and a tourist riverboat on a busy Venice canal on June 2, injuring five people. The collision sparked new calls for placing restrictions on cruise ships in the famed city. The crash happened on the Giudecca Canal, a major thoroughfare that leads to St. Mark's Square in the northeastern Italian city. The MSC Opera cruise ship, apparently unable to stop, blared its horn as it slammed into the much smaller River Countess boat and the dock as dozens of people ran away in panic. (Reuters Photo)
The MSC Opera was built in 2004. It can carry over 2,675 passengers in 1,071 cabins. (Reuters Photo)
According to its sailing schedule, MSC Opera left Venice on May 26 and traveled to Kotor, Montenegro, and Mykonos, Santorini and Corfu in Greece before returning Sunday to Venice. (Reuters Photo)
When the cruise ship rammed the riverboat, witnessed people said the smaller vessel looked like it was "made of plastic or paper" rather than steel. (Reuters Photo)
Two tugboats guiding the cruise ship into Venice tried to stop the MSC Opera, but they were unable to prevent it from ramming into the riverboat. (Reuters Photo)
For many, the crash served as a wake-up call. Opponents say cruise ships are out-of-scale for Venice, cause pollution, endanger the lagoon's ecosystem and a danger. (Reuters Photo)
Venice is a tremendously popular site for both tourists and cruise ships, especially during the summer tourist season. (Reuters Photo)