The drought caused by heat wave in Europe is wreaking havoc on one of the most important rivers. According to Reutersthe water levels of the Danube have been reduced to such a degree that it is possible to see sunken Nazi warships during world war II. Residents of Prahovo, a city in eastern Serbia, discovered more than 20 hulls along the river that threaten navigation.
Experts assure that a large part of these ships have tons of ammunition and explosives, which would put Serbian and Romanian fishing vessels at risk. the nazi ships reduced the navigable section of the Danube by more than 80 meters and local residents already consider the flotilla as a great ecological disaster.
The media reports that more than 20 ships belong to the Kampfgruppe Zieb, a fleet of between 170 and 250 German vessels. After withdrawing from Sevastopol in 1944, the Nazis were determined to transit back up the Danube into Yugoslavia. The mission was more than impossible, and after losing dozens of ships and hundreds of crew members, the Germans anchored the fleet at Prahovo and sank the ships to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
Drought caused by heat wave threatens the safety of those transiting the Danube
Although the discovery of remains of Nazi ships is not new in the region, the drought exposed a never-before-seen amount. According to a Serbian minister, there are more than 10,000 explosive devices hidden among the exposed wreckage. Some of ships retain their turrets and command postswhile the rest of the parts are submerged under sandbanks
Ivica Skodric, a fisherman from the region, says that there are tons of bombs that threaten your job. Gordana Karovic, author of the study Remains of the German fleet sunk near Prahovo, the Danube in Serbiaensures that some chemicals are present on ships and represent a risk to the population of Prahovo.
Prior to the heat wave that has caused one of the worst droughts in Europe, the government of Serbia had already considered the removal of the helmets. In March of this year, the authorities announced a tender for the salvage of the helmets and the removal of ammunition and explosives.
The reduction of the water levels in the Danube is not only evident in Prahovo. Associated Press reported that the water dropped 1.5 meters near Budapest, threatening the supply of drinking water in the Hungarian capital. In Vámosszabadi, a town in western Hungary, remains of ships belonging to the Nazi fleet were also discovered.
The newspaper Washington Post reports that German ships also appeared during the 2003 heat wave. Unlike two decades ago, the boats now pose a risk to those transiting the Danube.