Hungary and Romania are facing an energy crisis as record-low water levels in the Danube River, caused by prolonged drought, have forced nuclear power plants to reduce output. This marks the first time nuclear reactors cooled by the river have been forced to shut down, deepening fears of an energy crunch across the region.
In response, Romania has declared a nationwide state of emergency throughout August following a decline in electricity production. To address the shortage, the Romanian military took the unprecedented action of detonating a rock formation in the Danube River on Monday to redirect vital cooling water to the Cernavoda plant, the country's sole working nuclear reactor.
Neighboring Hungary is facing similar challenges at the Paks nuclear power plant, which has been operating at about 10 percent of its capacity due to the lack of cooling riverwater. Officials indicated that the country's only atomic plant might be able to eke out only two more days of power.