The “Danube Grace” ship tries to break the ice on the frozen Danube river near the city of Giurgiu, 70 km (43 miles) south of Bucharest February 10, 2012. Romania and Bulgaria suspended all shipping on the Danube River due to severe frost. Reuters Pictures
European and Baltic forestry investors have been severely hampered following the freezing of the River Danube, one of Europe’s main waterways.
Many within the industry as well as other sectors across the continent are suffering because of what has been described as the longest freeze of the river in recent memory.
Huge ice chunks have been floating down the river in southern Romania while water close to the banks have remained iced over in several other nearby nations.
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Costache Constantin, manager of Europolis Shipping and Trading shipping company, told the Associated Press: “This is costing millions of euros. The transportation of raw materials, coal, minerals, cereals … are all affected, construction materials too.”
He added that this was the worst freeze he had seen in his working life, which began in 1981.
The Danube flows for 1,785 miles and travels through nine countries, including Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine.
