High water stops shipping on Rhine in central Germany

Shipping has stopped on the river Rhine in central Germany because of a sharp rise in water levels, a spokesman for the river police said on Wednesday.
The river has been closed to all shipping until further notice near Karlsruhe in central Germany, the spokesman said, Reuters reports.
High water levels prevent vessels sailing under bridges. River water levels have risen sharply in past days after rising temperatures melted snow.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including grains, minerals, coal and oil products including heating oil. It is a major route for Switzerland's commodity imports.