However, this year’s drought — exacerbated by human-induced global warming — has exposed more than 20 vessels in a stretch of the Danube near Prahovo in eastern Serbia, many of which still contain metric tons of ammunition and explosives and pose a risk to the shipping. “The German flotilla left behind a big ecological disaster that threatens us, the people of Prahovo,” said Velimir Trailovic, 74, a retiree from Prahovo who wrote a book about the German ships. Workers in the local fishing industry are also at risk, including from Romania just across the river. Months of drought and high temperatures have blocked rivers on vital arteries in other parts of Europe, including Germany, Italy and France. In Serbia, authorities have resorted to dredging to keep navigation lanes open on the Danube. Read the full story From Prahovo, some of the coppers have reduced the navigable section in this part of the Danube to just 100 meters (330 ft) from 180 meters. Scattered across the riverbed, some of the ships still boast turrets, conning bridges, broken masts and twisted hulls, while others lie mostly submerged beneath sandbanks. In March, the Serbian government announced a tender to salvage the trash and remove ammunition and explosives. The cost of the operation was estimated at 29 million euros ($30 million).
