Low water level in the Danube has uncovered another WWII wreck - video

Very low water levels in the Danube contributed to the uncovering of the wreck of another German WWII vessel.

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Europe’s worst drought in years has caused water levels in rivers and lakes to drop significantly. This state of affairs has contributed to the uncovering of another wreck of a WWII-era German vessel, which rests sunken at the bottom of the Danube near the village of Prahovo on the Serbian-Romanian border.

The entire Danube River is full of post-German wrecks from World War II in this area. These are literally hundreds of vessels that retreated from the advancing Red Army in 1944. Today, wrecks from the 1940s pose a serious threat.

Low water level in the Danube

First of all, when the water level is low, the steel structures emerging from the water seriously impede navigation. However, this is only part of the problem, as the sunken vessels carried a sizeable stockpile of ammunition and explosives in addition to fuel. Now this cargo poses a serious threat and could cause an environmental disaster.

So far, lowered water levels in the Danube have already exposed more than two dozen wrecks near Prahovo.

The Germans have left behind a major environmental disaster that threatens us Prahovians – said Velimir Trajilovic, a 74-year-old retiree from Prahovo who wrote a book about the German ships.

Persistent drought and high temperatures are seriously hampering navigation on the Danube. The problem affects many countries, as the river flows through as many as 10 countries. In many places, it is necessary to dredge the waterway to keep it passable.

March 2022. Serbia announced a tender for the removal of wreckage as well as ammunition and explosives. The cost of the entire project was estimated by specialists at 29 million euros.

In early July We reported on the wreck that emerged from the waters of the Po River as a result of the drought Italy.

Photo Screenshot from YouTube

Without a doubt, the Donegal coast has become synonymous with wreck diving for technical divers. Among other things, due to the wreck of the SS Empire Heritage, which we wrote about in the 17th issue of the DIVERS24 quarterly! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while you can purchase the printed version in our online store.