Viking Ullur ran aground on the Danube amid low water levels, prompting passenger evacuation as drought impacts navigation.
Crisis of Low Water Levels in the Danube River: Viking Ullur Ran Aground, Passengers Evacuated
The ongoing drought and low water levels in the Danube River, one of Europe's most important inland waterways, continue to adversely affect river transportation. The Swiss-flagged passenger ship Viking Ullur ran aground near the city of Vidin, Bulgaria, in the early hours of July 28. Following the incident, 186 passengers and 52 crew members on board were safely evacuated.
In the evacuation operation coordinated by the Bulgarian Border Police, passengers were transferred to another passenger ship using small boats. The passengers were later transported by bus to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, and it was reported that their health conditions were good.
Authorities indicated that the main causes of the incident included the extraordinarily low water levels in the Danube River and inadequate visibility conditions during the night. However, initial investigations revealed that the ship had also strayed outside the navigation channel before running aground. Some passengers who shared on social media claimed they were informed that the incident was due to a piloting error.
Water Levels at Critical Levels
Due to prolonged drought and extreme temperatures, water levels in the Danube, the second longest river in Europe, have dropped to historically low levels. The European Union, using Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, highlighted the dramatic retreat of the river, particularly noting the emergence of large sediment areas in the riverbed in Hungary.
EU officials stated that low water levels have severely impacted not only cargo transportation but also river tourism. Since mid-July, some tourist river cruises in northern Hungary have been completely halted.
Serbia and Croatia are also facing record low water levels in the Danube. Fuel transportation, fishing, and tourism activities in the region have been significantly disrupted.
Rescue Efforts Yield No Results
The Viking Ullur, built in 2019 and measuring 135 meters in length, ran aground approximately 24 kilometers upstream of Vidin, about five hours after departing from Romania's Drobeta-Turnu Severin Port.
Local tugboats attempted to rescue the ship but were unsuccessful. The Lower Danube Administration sent the technical research vessel Concordia to the area to measure the water depth.
The Viking company directed the French-flagged passenger ship Vivaldi to evacuate the passengers. However, due to low water levels, the second vessel was also unable to approach the stranded cruise ship.
Authorities decided to evacuate after the Viking Ullur was unable to carry out its planned drinking water supply in Vidin and water supplies on board began to dwindle.
Second Ship Also Ran Aground
The adverse conditions in the Danube River did not only affect the Viking Ullur. At the same time, a cargo ship near the city of Calafat in Romania also ran aground on a sandbank formed in the riverbed, forcing it to stop its navigation.
Officials stated that water extraction restrictions along the river continue to be implemented. Many cargo ships have had to operate with reduced loads, while some river cruises have docked at ports to transport their passengers between cities by bus. Some tour operators have also decided to change their routes.
Experts warn that if rainfall remains insufficient, similar disruptions in both commercial transportation and tourism in the Danube River may continue in the upcoming period.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
