By Roxana Navarro
May 15, 2024, 10:28 PM EDT
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, Texas, reported on the collision of a barge against a pillar of the bridge that connects the city with Pelican Island that occurred on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 15. Due to the collision, part of the structure detached and the boat spilled oil into the water. So far no injuries have been reported.
When pieces of the bridge fell onto the barge, Sheriff Ray Nolen said that on impact a man was sent flying and fell into the water, but did not suffer serious injuries. Crews arrived on scene immediately to clean up the oil spill.
“The tide was high”
Ports along the Texas coast are centers of international trade, but experts told The Associated Press that the collision was unlikely to cause serious economic disruption.
The accident occurred when the operator of a tugboat pushing two barges lost control of them, “the current was very bad and the tide was high,” said David Flores, bridge superintendent for the Galveston County Navigation District, AP shared. .
The vessel is carrying a base petroleum product. The Coast Guard is investigating reports of pollution. Cause of the incident is under investigation. The intercoastal waterway is currently closed to traffic.
— USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) May 15, 2024
“The collision has caused an oil spill in the bay. “The United States Coast Guard responded to the accident and will determine the extent of the spill, in addition to initiating containment and cleanup processes,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
For its part, Texas A&M University in Galveston warned that the campus on Pelican Island will be closed from Thursday to Sunday and classes will be held remotely.
The 300,000 gallon capacity barge
At the time of the accident, around 200 people were on campus; those who wanted to go home were allowed to drive over the bridge to leave. While the marine and maritime research institute commented that the bridge may be closed until Friday, May 17.
The barge is owned by Martin Petroleum, and has a capacity of 30,000 gallons, although it was not specified how much fell into the water. What they did make clear is that about 6.5 miles of the waterway were closed due to the spill.
Authorities will provide more information about the accident.
With information from AP
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