August 12, 2015
by Reuters
HAMBURG/LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) –
Shipping on the river Danube was blocked in south Germany on Wednesday after a cargo vessel ran aground because of low water levels, a police spokesman said.
Efforts are being made to remove cargo from the Romanian vessel which ran aground near Niederalteich in Bavaria, a spokesman for the Bavarian police said.
It was unclear when work on the vessel would be finished it but could last until Thursday, he said.
Shipping on the Danube and Rhine in Germany has been disrupted by low water this week after recent dryness in river catchment areas.
The Danube is an important transport route for petroleum products and also for east European grain exports to west Europe.
Around 30 inland waterways vessels are currently held up because of the blocked Danube, the police spokesman said.
It was unclear whether the Danube would be immediately reopened to shipping as low water on the Isar, an adjoining river, has resulted in faster currents washing gravel into the Danube which is also hindering shipping and is currently being cleared by a dredger, the spokesman said.
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Shipping on Danube blocked after vessel runs aground
August 12th, 2015
Holly Birkett
A Romanian cargo ship ran aground on the river Danube in Bavaria today, blocking the waterway to shipping traffic.
Efforts are being made to free the stricken vessel but could take until Thursday, Reuters reports.
The grounding was due to water levels, caused by drought in the region. The 1,075-km-long Romanian stretch of the river has been worst affected, where the water level was 90 cm on Friday in Galati, the largest Danube port, almost 5 metres below warning levels, reports say.
Around 30 inland waterway vessels are reportedly held up because of the blockage.