Serbia restores navigation on Danube, Sava rivers after removal of ice

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's Transportation Ministry on Thursday partially lifted a ban on navigation on the Danube and Sava rivers river following the removal of ice blocks that have clogged the waterways since mid-January. Last month, Serbia deployed icebreakers to smash ice blocks that jammed parts of the Danube river and ripped through marinas and moorings, damaging dozens of boats and floating restaurants. The port authorities in Serbia have now allowed river navigation for big vessels between 0600 GMT and 1600 GMT, but warned captains to report movements of ships due to the danger of colliding with floating ice. "The ban remains in place for ships navigating outside designated sector, smaller vessels and boats due to ice blocks accumulated along river banks and floating ice," the ministry said in a statement. The bab on navigation forced oil and petrol retailers to seek alternative ways of transportation. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Alison Williams)