Sunken World War Two ships discovered in Serbia and Hungary on the Low Danube.
In 1944, hundreds of Nazi Germany's ships were sunk along the River Danube.
The Nazi ships that were destroyed in the River Danube during World War Two have resurfaced near Prahovo, Serbia's river port town, due to a drought in July and August that lowered the river's water level.
In Hungary's Danube-Drava National Park near Mohacs, four vessels dating before 1950 were discovered, with the Danube's water level standing at only 1.5 meters on Tuesday (September 10), due to the lingering effects of severe heat waves and persistent drought in July and August.
In 1944, Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet scuttled hundreds of vessels along the Danube, including those discovered in Prahovo, as they retreated from advancing Soviet forces. These wrecks can hinder river traffic during low water levels.
Some ships in the riverbed have turrets, command bridges, broken masts, and twisted hulls, while others are mostly submerged under sand banks.
Endre Sztellik, a guard at the Danube-Drava national park stated that the ship in Hungary is still unknown, and although it is visible, the wreck is diminishing due to people's interest and parts of it are disappearing.
On Tuesday in Budapest, the Danube was at a height of 1.17 meters (3.8 feet), which is lower than the all-time record low of approximately 0.4 meters recorded in October 2018. However, during floods, the Danube can rise above 6 meters.
The Copernicus European climate service reported on its website that Eastern Europe is currently facing severe drought conditions that are negatively impacting crops and vegetation, according to its latest drought report released earlier this month.
On Monday (September 9), long-awaited rainfall arrived, and it is predicted that the Danube levels will reach approximately three metres at Mohacs by the weekend. As a result, the river is likely to submerge the shipwrecks once again.
world
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