A cargo ship carrying Mercedes vans has run aground near the port of Düsseldorf in western Germany after low water levels prevented it from reaching the Rhine, police said on Tuesday.
The 135-metre vessel, sailing under the German flag, became stuck on a sandbank on Monday as it tried to leave the port.
Water levels are so low that a tugboat cannot currently be used to free it.
A spokeswoman for the water police said such an operation could also damage the cargo ship itself, adding that authorities must wait for water levels to rise.
The incident has not disrupted traffic in the port or on the Rhine.
The ship is carrying white Mercedes Sprinter vans loaded in Düsseldorf and destined for Rotterdam. The vehicles were not damaged.
An operation is planned soon to remove some of the vans so that the vessel can set sail later this week.
Persistent drought and low rainfall have left water levels unusually low on the navigable Rhine, forcing cargo ships to reduce loads and causing some ferries to suspend services.
