Parts of River Rhine Closed to Shipping Due to High Waters

Parts of the river Rhine in southern Germany were closed to cargo shipping on Monday after heavy rains raised water levels, navigation authorities said.

Rhine river shipping stopped around Maxau and Mannheim in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency WSA said.

The high levels of water leave vessels insufficient overhead space to sail under bridges, and prevents vessels sailing to Switzerland.

Shipping on northern sections of the river is operating normally, including the important points of Duisburg and Cologne.

The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including minerals, coal and oil products such as heating oil, grains and animal feed

(Reuters - Reporting by Michael Hogan, Editing by Bernadette Baum)