Danube River Closed to Shipping in Austria Amid Flooding

The Danube River was closed to all shipping traffic in Austria on Tuesday due to severe flooding, according to APA news agency, citing the Austrian transport ministry.

Central Europe is grappling with widespread flooding that has disrupted shipping and resulted in at least 21 fatalities. Rivers continued to overflow in the Czech Republic, while the Danube’s water levels were rising in Hungary. Floodwaters have also affected parts of Austria and Romania.

In Hungary, mobile dams have been deployed in the historic towns of Visegrad and Szentendre, located north of Budapest, as a precaution against the rising Danube. Meanwhile, in Slovakia, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba reported that the Danube reached a peak of nearly 10 meters overnight, with water levels expected to gradually decline.

(Reuters)