Danube River’s water levels drop so low that sunken Nazi warships are emerging

Drought has driven the Danube River to record low levels, exposing dozens of Nazi German warships scuttled in 1944 near Prahovo, Serbia. The low water threatens power plants and shipping, prompting conservation measures across Central and Eastern Europe. Authorities work to keep traffic flowing as the wrecks, some still carrying explosives, emerge.

A severe drought has driven the Danube River, Europe's second longest, to record low water levels, exposing the hulks of dozens of World War II German warships near the Serbian port of Prahovo. The ships, some still laden with weapons, belonged to Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet, deliberately scuttled in September 1944 to block the Soviet advance. Historians say up to 200 warships were sunk in the gorge. The low water has also forced power plants to the brink of shutdown, and governments across Central and Eastern Europe are taking steps to conserve electricity. Authorities are trying to keep traffic flowing on the Danube, which flows through 10 nations, as the dropping levels create dangerous conditions. A local resident, Krsta Brandic, said the low water has almost stopped ship traffic. The Serbian government, with EU support, has long tried to remove the wrecks, some of which still carry explosives.