See photos, videos of barge that struck Pelican Island bridge, causing Texas oil spill
A barge struck the bridge that links Galveston, Texas to Pelican Island on Wednesday causing an oil spill into the surrounding waters, according to the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management.
The Pelican Island Causeway was struck by the vessel owned by Martin Petroleum at around 10 a.m. Wednesday, the office wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The collision road closed access to the small island, which temporarily lost power before secondary power was restored by 1 p.m.
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said two crew members on the barge were "either knocked off the barge or jumped off the barge," but were soon rescued, local station KRIV reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The bridge will stay closed until officials deem it safe to access, the city said in a statement. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on X that the U.S. Department of Transportation will assist the Texas Department of Transportation. Officials do not yet know how much oil has leaked into the water.
TV images, footage and social media posts showed the aftermath of the incident as a section of a railway that runs along the bridge collapsed onto the barge. Some of the damage can be seen below.
Bridge collision:Barge hits Texas bridge connecting Galveston and Pelican Island, causing partial collapse and oil spill
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Contributing: Robbie Farias and Thao Nguyen