Barge carrying 1,000 tonnes of fertilizer sinks in Danube

A cargo vessel carrying 1,000 tonnes of nitrogenous fertilizer has sunk on the Danube River, causing serious concern for the local environment, the Associated Press reported on Friday, citing Serbia’s Environment Ministry.

The news agency reported that the German-flagged boat hit the Ilok–Bačka Palanka bridge on the river border with Croatia at around 00:40 local time. It had been travelling from Austria to a Serbian port north of Belgrade.

Serbia’s Environment Ministry has said that the Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring the situation on the Danube. The Croatian authorities, meanwhile, have closed the bridge while they inspect the damage to one of the pillars.

No injuries have been reported.