Ice Takes Toll On Danube Boats In Serbia

Some of the boats damaged by ice lie in the Belgrade stretch of the Danube River on February 20.

Blocks of ice flowing down the Danube River have damaged dozens of small boats, pontoons, and floating restaurants in the area around the Serbian capital, Belgrade, according to reports.

The 2,860-kilometer-long Danube flows through nine European countries and is vital to transport, power, and industry, and ice formed during the recent cold spell closed hundreds of kilometers of the river from Austria to the Black Sea.

Serbian officials said the thick ice started moving on February 19 as regional temperatures rose.

Meanwhile, Serbian emergencies official Predrag Maric said more than 3,000 people remained stranded by snow in southern Serbia.

At least 20 people have died from cold in Serbia in the past weeks.

The cost of the cold snap has been estimated at up to 500 million euros ($660 million) in Serbia alone.

Compiled from agency reports