Sava at Sremska Raca: Navigation Banned on 10 km
The harbor master's office banned navigation on a 10-kilometer stretch of the river on October 28 after low water exposed objects suspected to be World War II shells.
Navigation on the Sava near Sremska Raca has been urgently banned along a ten-kilometer stretch. Several objects suspected to be mines or other explosive devices were spotted next to a bridge pier, and the Sremska Raca Harbor Master’s Office imposed the ban on October 28. Its head, Dragan Mijailovic, told Tanjug the objects are most likely artillery shells from World War II.
What was spotted near the bridge?
The objects became visible because of the Sava’s low water level. They had previously been underwater. Who spotted them first has not been made public.
According to Mijailovic, the shells were not fired but simply thrown into the river. Some of them lie in the navigation channel, so the ban is meant to keep a vessel from setting one off by accident.
It has not been confirmed that the objects are actually bombs or other explosive devices, and their origin is unknown. The World War II estimate therefore remains the harbor master’s assumption, not an established fact.
Which part of the Sava is closed to navigation?
The ban covers river kilometers 180 to 190, in the area of the bridge near Sremska Raca, B92 reports. It applies to all vessels, boats included, and to navigation upstream toward Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mijailovic stressed that navigation on that section of the river had already been impossible for some time even without a ban, because of the low water. He told Blic:
“For now, we have banned navigation for all vessels, including boats, on that section of the Sava. Experts from the Demining Center in Belgrade have set out for the site to determine what this is about.”
The ban, as reported, stays in force until it is established whether the objects pose a danger to vessels and people.
What happens after the site is inspected?
Experts from the Demining Center in Belgrade have been sent to the site. They are to determine what the objects are and whether they are dangerous. Mijailovic said a new notice will be issued after their inspection:
“Once the experts inspect the site and establish what this is about, a new notice will be issued.”
The harbor master also announced he will ask for a determination of how many explosive devices are in the river, and for all of them to be removed and defused.
Residents and anglers are advised not to approach suspicious objects. While the check continues, river traffic participants must wait for a new notice from the authorities.
It has not been disclosed how many objects were spotted, what the Sava’s current water level is, or how long the ban will last.
