Owners of vessels are being hit by huge financial losses while the Danube River near Silistra and Tutrakan remains largely iced-over, Bulgarian National Television said on February 16 2012.

According to vessel owners, costs of fuel and crew add up to about 1000 euro a day while a ship is kept in port because the river is frozen over.

At Silistra and Tutrakan, the river remained entirely frozen while at Rousse ice cover was about 70 per cent, the report said.

More than 130 vessels were held up at Rousse, most of them Bulgarian, according to the report.

The icing over is causing losses to transport companies, their customers, shipping agents and brokers, Bulgarian National Television said.

Bulgaria has no icebreaker, the report said.