Swiss passenger ship runs aground on Danube river in Romania

A Swiss-flagged passenger ship carrying more than 200 people has run aground on the Danube River in southwestern Romania after unusually low water levels left it stranded.

The vessel departed from the Romanian port city of Drobeta-Turnu Severin, near the Serbian border, and was en route to the Bulgarian city of Vidin when it became stuck near the Romanian town of Salca, Romanian media reports. 

Authorities made several attempts on the evening of July 27 and on the morning of July 28 to refloat the ship, but all efforts were unsuccessful.

The ship has 186 passengers and 52 crew members on board. No injuries have been reported, but officials consider the chances of refloating the vessel under the current river conditions to be slim.

By Sabina Mammadli