Booms are being deployed

From Upper Austria to Ybbs: Oil slick on the Danube

Several oil booms have been set up on the Danube.(Bild: zVg)

A kilometer-long oil slick on the Danube triggered a major response in Upper and Lower Austria on Thursday. Fire departments from both states set up several oil booms along the river to prevent the pollution from spreading further. The cause is currently unclear. The water police are already investigating.

Late Thursday morning, the Grein Fire Department (Upper Austria) was alerted to an environmental incident on the Danube. A passerby had called 911 to report a kilometer-long oil slick in the area of the Grein harbor. Upon arrival, emergency responders immediately assessed the situation along the water and initiated initial measures.

Support from Upper and Lower Austria
Due to the extent of the pollution, additional specialized units were quickly called in. Fire stations from Hütting and Mauthausen, equipped with oil booms, arrived to provide support. At the same time, a major fire department operation was underway on the opposite bank in Lower Austria to prevent the oil from spreading further.

Florianis set up oil booms; drones scouted the source
Several oil booms were deployed on the Danube to contain the pollutant and minimize the environmental impact as much as possible. Additionally, drones assisted the incident command with up-to-date aerial imagery of the situation.

Cause suspected far upstream – police investigating
“The water police are simultaneously investigating exactly where the cause of the heavy pollution lies. However, the priority now is to set up oil booms at several locations downstream—and our colleagues are reliably doing so, currently just short of Ybbs,” explains Victor Vogelsang, spokesperson for the Perg District Fire Department, to the “Krone.”