Cruise ship runs aground on the Danube due to low water levels

Bulgarian border guards on Tuesday began evacuating nearly 200 passengers from a cruise ship that ran aground on the Danube because of low water levels, the interior ministry said.

Europe has been hit by a succession of heatwaves this summer and the Danube -- the continent's second-longest river which flows through 10 countries -- has recorded low water levels in recent weeks that have hindered navigation.

The Swiss-flagged Viking Ullur ran aground at about 2:20 am (2320 GMT Monday), some 25 kilometres (15 miles) upstream of Vidin in northeast Bulgaria, the ministry said.

The incident happened at night, in reduced visibility and "due to the low level of water in the Danube", a statement read.

For security reasons, the operation was carried out with the help of a border police speedboat and was expected to be completed before nightfall, it added.

The ship, which plies a route between the Hungarian capital Budapest and Romania, was carrying 186 passengers, all of them European Union citizens, as well as 52 crew members and service staff.

It had been due to call at the port of Vidin to resupply and was also beginning to run short of drinking water, the ministry said.

Another ship was chartered by the shipping agent to take the passengers but was not able to get near the vessel that ran aground.

Bulgarian police footage showed passengers wearing life vests being helped by emergency service personnel to board the speedboat.