On Wednesday, a barge collided with the Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston (Texas), causing railroad tracks and a section to fall onto the barge.
The collision occurred around 10 am and was not reported to have caused any injuries.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry confirms that two crew members went overboard, but they were rescued from the water.
Henry said that the collision caused the oil spillage from the barge. The barge has a capacity of 30,000 gallons. It is not known how much oil went into the water.
The video shows the debris of the bridge and rail tracks resting on the barge. The cause of the barge’s collision with the bridge was not immediately known.
Pelican Island is located north of Galveston, connected to the city only by a bridge. Officials have said that the bridge is closed to traffic both ways.
Texas A&M University at Galveston on Pelican Island reported that their power had been briefly cut off, but it has now been restored. Texas A&M University at Galveston, a branch campus of Texas A&M University is oriented towards the ocean, reported that its power was briefly shut off but has since been restored.
Six construction workers were killed six weeks ago when the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a container ship bound for Sri Lanka hit it.
The recent barge incidents and the disaster in Baltimore have highlighted bridges’ vulnerability to strikes.
Last Thursday, a barge hit the Fort Madison Bridge and sank into the Mississippi River.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that 15 barges were being moved by a tow boat when one got loose and struck the bridge, which was nearly 100 years old.
Officials said that last month, over two dozen river barges floated along the Ohio River, causing damage to a marina and a bridge that had been closed preemptively.
The boats were eventually pinned on the riverbank, or they went over a downstream dam.