Freight Shipping on West Germany’s Mosel River has been blocked after a passenger vessel damaged a lock, per authorities.
The river, which is called the Moselle in France, is a vital transit route for rapeseed and grain between France and Germany.
Inland Waterway Shipping stopped after the vessel damaged the lock at Sankt Aldegund between Koblenz and Trier, per a police spokesperson. Ships cannot cross through the lock in either direction.
Experts and officials examined the lock on Thursday, but they said that it is not possible to tell the extent of damage or say how long shipping will be impacted.
German federal transport minister Patrick Schnieder said that he would do everything in his power to ensure that the lock can resume operations as soon as possible.
The Mosel River closed to inland shipping in December as well after an accident caused damage to a lock at Mueden, south of Koblenz, and reopened in February after extensive repairs.
According to initial inspections, the lock’s concrete structure
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