ZAGREB, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The wreckage of a cargo ship believed to have sunk nearly 90 years ago has resurfaced in the Danube River near Opatovac in eastern Croatia, local officials said on Monday.
The discovery, made as the river's water level continues to fall to record lows, has drawn strong public interest. The local municipality has posted photos of the wreck online to gather information from residents, historians and anyone with knowledge to help identify the vessel.
According ot Croatian news agency Hina, Mayor of Lovas municipality Lea Vidic said she had received information suggesting that the ship's sinking was reported in a newspaper article published in 1937.
Local residents recall spotting faint outlines of the wreck about 15 years ago, but say it has never been so extensively exposed, Vidic said. If water levels continue to decline, more of the ship is likely to emerge, offering a rare opportunity to document a piece of the region's river history, she added.
The Danube River has fallen to unprecedented low levels across eastern Croatia. The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service recorded a water level of minus 108 cm at the Batina measuring station last week, the lowest since records began and 24 cm below the previous historic low of minus 84 cm set in 2022.
The unusually low water level has revealed other remnants of the past. Recently, two unexploded World War II-era aerial bombs were uncovered near Batina and safely removed by police.
