Sunken WW2 German warships emerge from Danube river

STORY: These German warships sunk during World War Two

Location: Prahovo, Serbia

Now, low water levels on river Danube have exposed more than 20 hulks

The vessels were among hundreds scuttled along the Danube by Nazi Germany's fleet

as they retreated from advancing Soviet forces in 1944

(Velimir Trajilovic, Author) “The Second World War's remnants, or the consequences of the conflict between the Red Army and the German flotilla, are now here in front of us. Thus, they left behind an ecological disaster for us, the residents of Prahovo, which has been threatening us every day for the past 78 years.”

The hulks have narrowed the navigable section on this stretch of the Danube by about 260 feet

Many of the vessels also still contain tons of ammunition and explosives

and pose a danger to the shipping and local fishing industry

The Serbian government has invited a tender for the salvage of the hulks

and removal of ammunition and explosives

The cost of the operation is estimated at $30 million