Bulgarian border police evacuated 186 passengers from a Viking cruise ship after the vessel ran aground on the Danube River due to what the company described as "exceptionally low water levels." All passengers were safely transferred ashore with no injuries reported.

The Danube is one of Europe's busiest inland waterways, serving as a vital corridor for both commercial freight and river cruise tourism. The river flows through or along the borders of ten countries, making disruptions on it significant for regional tourism and logistics.

The ship, identified as the Viking Ullur, became stranded early Tuesday approximately 15 miles upstream from Vidin, Bulgaria, where it had been scheduled to stop for supplies, according to the Bulgaria News Agency. An initial attempt to reach the vessel with another ship proved unsuccessful because it could not get close enough to take passengers aboard. Bulgarian border police then carried out the rescue operation.

In a statement provided Friday to FOX Business, Viking confirmed the incident: "We can confirm that the Viking Ullur experienced a grounding incident on the Danube River on July 28, 2026, after coming into contact with a sandbank during a period of exceptionally low water levels."

"The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew is always our highest priority. There were no injuries, and the vessel remained safe throughout the incident," the company added. "The ship was well-stocked with all necessary supplies, including food and water, to keep guests and crew safe and comfortable."

Viking also noted that "Guests were safely transferred ashore and continued their planned itinerary, including a full day in Bucharest."

Efforts to refloat the vessel on Tuesday morning were unsuccessful, the Bulgaria News Agency reported. All evacuated passengers were from European countries, and 52 crew members were on board at the time of the incident. The current status of the crew members and the location of the vessel were not immediately clear, and Viking did not respond to further inquiries on the matter.

According to Viking's website, the Viking Ullur was built in 2019 and measures 443 feet in length.

A prolonged drought across the region has driven record low water levels on the Danube River, The Associated Press reported. Low water levels on major European rivers, including the Danube and the Rhine, have periodically disrupted both cargo shipping and cruise itineraries in recent years, and operators have at times needed to adjust schedules, substitute vessels, or arrange alternative transport for passengers when conditions prevent navigation.