Shipping Traffic on Belgium's Scheldt River Halted After Accident

Shipping traffic on Belgium's Scheldt River was halted until at least Tuesday morning 10am local time (0800 GMT) after a Dutch ship sank on Monday morning, a spokesperson for the Flemish agency for waterways said, confirming local media reports.

The captain of the ship, which was transporting bricks, was the only person on board and was missing with rescue efforts underway to find him, the spokesperson, Max Verdonck, said.

Verdonck added that five to 10 boats were currently stuck behind the sunken boat but couldn't confirm how many of those were leisure boats and how many were carrying cargo.

He said smaller boats would be able to turn around and take a detour but bigger ones might be stuck until the shipping traffic ban was lifted, which will be likely extended on Tuesday.

(Reuters - Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Susan Fenton)