A Swiss-flagged cruise ship carrying 186 passengers and 52 crew members ran aground on the Danube in southwestern Romania overnight, and authorities are considering options to refloat the vessel or transfer passengers to another cruise ship.

Petrisor Ureche, head of the Navigation Safety Department at the Drobeta-Turnu Severin Port Authority, told AGERPRES on Tuesday that the Viking Ullur departed the port of Drobeta-Turnu Severin at around 9:15 p.m. on Monday, bound for Vidin, Bulgaria.

'At around 12:45 a.m. we were informed by the duty officer at the Calafat Harbour Master's Office that the passenger vessel had run aground at river kilometre 817+500, on the Romanian bank of the Danube. Attempts were made to refloat it using the ship's own means, but these were unsuccessful. This morning, the technical vessel Concordia, operated by the Lower Danube River Administration, arrived at the site and carried out water-depth measurements around the ship,' Ureche said.

According to the official, authorities are assessing options to refloat the vessel or, if necessary, transfer passengers to another cruise ship.

Ureche stressed that the incident has not disrupted river traffic.

'Navigation is proceeding normally because the vessel ran aground outside the navigable channel. The captain reported that the ship is safe, as are all passengers and crew members,' he said.

Although draft restrictions are currently in force because of low water levels on the Danube, the vessel's draft complied with the limit for that section of the river.

'There are draft restrictions in place, but the vessel went beyond the green navigation buoy. An investigation will determine the cause of the grounding. The ship had the permitted draft for that section, but it deviated from the navigable channel. At this stage, we do not know why,' Ureche explained.

He added that the Danube's flow is currently well below normal seasonal levels.

'The Danube's water level is indeed very low. At this time of year, the river's flow should be around 4,700 cubic metres per second, whereas it is currently only 1,650 cubic metres per second. That is why draft restrictions are in place. The permitted draft varies from one section of the river to another, depending on water levels,' said the head of the Navigation Safety Department at the Drobeta-Turnu Severin Port Authority.

He also noted that another vessel is currently stranded on a sandbank in the Calafat area.

'We also have a cargo vessel aground near Calafat. It has become stranded on a sandbank,' Ureche added. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Maria Mitrica; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)

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