January 8 (SeeNews) - Serbia’s environment ministry said that there are no changes in the physical and chemical properties of Danube water after a German barge loaded with around 1,000 tonnes of nitrogen fertiliser sank in the river that forms the country's border with Croatia last Friday.
The results of the first analysis showed that the values of general physical and chemical parameters such as pH value, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, orthophosphates, total phosphorus and others were within the prescribed limits, the environment ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
The ministry will continue to inform the public about the results of further analyses, which are being collected, it said.
The accident occurred in the early hours on Friday, when the barge hit the pillar of the 25-May bridge that connects the Backa Palanka border crossing in Serbia to the Ilok crossing in Croatia.
Serbia’s government said on Saturday that the bridge has been reopened for vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes after the commissions appointed by both countries found no damage to the bridge structure.