Ship grounded due to drought blocks traffic on Danube

ZAGREB (AFP) Aug 19, 2003
River traffic on the Danube was blocked Tuesday after a ship ran aground as a result of low water levels caused by drought, officials in the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar told the HINA news agency.

"For now we do not know when traffic on the Danube will be re-established," captain Ivan Mijic said, adding that the ship ran aground upriver in neighbouring Serbia.

He said that the Ukrainian ship was carrying an excessive load when it ran aground near the town of Apatin on the border with Croatia.

In Croatia, suffering its worst drought in 50 years, the water level of the Danube has fallen 45 centimeters (about 18 inches) below the average level measured near the eastern town of Osijek.

TERRA.WIRE