Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany were closed to shipping on Thursday after a rise in water levels following recent heavy rain, German authorities said.
River shipping has been stopped around Maxau and Iffezheim, a spokesperson for the German inland waterways navigation agency said.
The blockage is likely to remain until the weekend, preventing vessels from sailing to Switzerland, he said.
High water means vessels to not have enough space to sail under bridges. Shipping in northern sectors of the river are still operating.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including minerals, coal and oil products such as heating oil, grains and animal feed.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Michael Hogan; editing by Jason Neely)