Image for representation purposes only A Viking Cruise Ship ran aground in the Danube River due to extremely low water levels. According to the cruise line, the Viking Ullur came into contact with a sandbank while sailing in extremely low waters on July 28, 2026, after which it ran aground. The company also said that the passengers and crew members remained their highest priority and no injuries were reported during the incident. Bulgaria’s Border Police stated that the incident happened close to the city of Vidin, where the ship had halted to take on supplies. The police were able to rescue the ship’s 52 crew members and 186 passengers after a second vessel was dispatched to the scene since the first one was not able to get close enough to the cruise ship. Guests were safely evacuated and brought to shore, where they continued their day trip in Bucharest. Viking added that it would communicate updates with the guests affected and also their Travel Advisors. Sources suggest that attempts to refloat the ship have remained unsuccessful. The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe, and flows through Germany’s Black Forest through the Danube Delta in Romania into the Black Sea. In recent years, the Danube has been drying up due to reduced rainfall and prolonged summers, leading to drought-like conditions and intense heatwaves in the region. The low water level in the river has also affected sailings by other cruise ships. Avalon Waterways, another cruise line, said that it cancelled some sailings on the Danube and Rhine rivers for this reason. The conditions have left many ships stranded or in port. The water levels in the Danube have fallen to their lowest point in three decades.