The Danube low river levels at Belene hinders shipping

Low levels of the Danube hinder shipping along the Bulgarian section of the river.

The situation is the most critical in the area of Belene and near Svishtov.

The Maritime Administration Executive Agency announced that a regime of shipping through the critical sections has been introduced, which indicates where it is safe to go through.

There are 22 self-propelled ships in the Belene region with a total of over 70 barges. They are waiting for the river levels to rise, and some of them have already begun to distribute their cargo to more vessels so that they can pass through the shallows.

The low levels of the Danube in the Bulgarian section are from the beginning of September and are not an unusual for the season. They usually last about 30 days. That is why the ship owners have been warned not to overload the vessels, added the Maritime Administration Executive Agency.

However, in the area of ​​Svishtov, in the last week there were ships stuck for several hours, but they were overloaded and continued on their way. At the moment there are two stranded ships near Popina, and one is near Zagrazhden, where today the level is 132 cm below the conditional elevation 0. The reasons for this have not yet been established, and it is possible that it is due to human error.

All three vessels are not Bulgarian. They are not punctured and are not stranded, nor do they hinder shipping, as they are off the waterway.