Danube river low levels reveal historic Bulgarian steamboat

Record low water levels in the Danube river near Ruse, Bulgaria, have revealed the remains of the historic steamboat ‘Iskar’. Built in Italy in 1924, the vessel is considered one of the three foundational ships of Bulgarian river shipping.

Originally designed as tugboats, the ‘Iskar’ and its counterparts, the ‘Vit’ and ‘Ossom’, were converted into passenger and cargo ships in 1935 to establish a national river fleet. During its first year of passenger service, the vessel helped transport over 40,000 people between Ruse and Vidin.

The ship was taken out of service in the 1970s to be preserved as an exhibit. It was eventually moored in the shipyard's basin, where it sank in the 1990s due to a decayed hull and lack of maintenance. The vessel has now resurfaced due to the drying of the river basin.