Stranded Ships and Major Shipping Losses Due to Danube Drought

The waters of the Danube River, one of Eastern Europe’s busiest transport routes, have become so low that dozens of cargo ships are now stuck, either stranded in fog or in sand banks.

A massive lack of rain has triggered the worst regional drought in years for this season. Meteorologists have no clear explanation as to why the area is suffering, and shipping companies are already reporting major losses. Complaints that shipping companies are only operating at a third of their capacities’ and that the traffic on the Danube is now virtually non-existent are spreading throughout the industry.

About 80 large cargo ships are stranded at the border of Serbia and Hungry on the Danube. Even sunken German World War II-era ships and unexploded bombs that fell during the 1940s are resurfacing on the river. Bosnian Port workers, usually bustling, are out of work until further notice due to empty cargo terminals and parked boats.

The Bulgarian bank alone is the lowest it’s been since 1941, and shipping there has completely come to a halt.