Dozens of cargo ships run aground in Yangtze River's longest tributary

Dozens of cargo ships run aground in Yangtze River's longest tributary

WUHAN, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of cargo ships loaded with coal, sand and ore have run aground on the Hanjiang River, the longest branch of the Yangtze River, due to the lowest water level for 77 years.

About 70 cargo ships ran aground at Xiangfan, a city in the middle reaches of the river, according to the local maritime office. The average water level is less than 0.8 meters which is only navigable for ships under one hundred tons, the office said.

"My two ships loaded with coal have been stranded here for 18 days," ...