Cargo ship breakdown blocks Rhine River traffic in Germany

BERLIN (AP) — A cargo ship that broke down on the Rhine River caused a backup of other ships near the German town of St. Goar. The ship blocked the river until midday Wednesday, when it was towed downstream to the town of Bingen. Water police said other ships heading in the same direction would have to wait until the one with a non-working engine reached St. Goar, which was expected in the early evening. It wasn’t immediately clear how many ships were held up on the river and when traffic would return to normal. The police say it didn’t appear the cargo ship’s problem stemmed from the Rhine’s seriously low water levels.