Danube Level near Ruse Falls by Another 2cm, Three Vessels Remain Stranded

The level of the River Danube at Ruse has fallen by a further 2 centimetres. Declines and negative water levels over the past 24 hours have been recorded at all Bulgarian riverside towns from Vidin to Silistra.

The only exception is Nikopol, where the Danube has remained 4 centimetres above the critical minimum level. Low-water conditions are expected to persist throughout the month.

At present, three vessels remain aground. However, they are outside the navigable channel and are not disrupting river traffic. There are no reports of crews in distress. The passenger vessel that ran aground near the village of Gomotartsi last week has been pulled free from the shallows and is returning to its port.

Ivelin Zanev, Director of the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River (APPD) in Ruse, said:

"From an administrative point of view, navigation will not be suspended unless some kind of incident occurs. However, for purely economic reasons, shipowners may decide that transporting cargo is no longer commercially viable."