Shocking Footage: Barge Crashes into Bridge, Causing Partial Collapse and Oil Spill

A barge struck a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday morning, causing the partial collapse of an adjacent rail line and an oil spill, according to the city. The Pelican Island Causeway Bridge, which connects…

IJR SyndicatedMay 16, 20243 min read

Sponsored

A&M University at Galveston, and the state – as well as Galveston fire and police departments, U.S. Coast Guard and

Texas

Department of Transportation – are responding to the incident,” the city said in

a news release

.

Officials in Galveston added:

“The collision has resulted in an Oil spill in the bay. The U.S. Coast Guard is responding and will determine the extent of the spill, as well as initiate the containment and cleanup processes.

“Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation are also en route to inspect the roadway and determine if there is damage. The bridge will remain closed until it is deemed safe to use. The City of Galveston will provide updates about this as information becomes available.”

Loading post…

The Galveston County Office of Emergency Management said in a statement the barge that struck the bridge was owned by a company called Martin Petroleum and that people on Pelican Island had briefly lost electricity.

Loading post…

As of midday, those on the island were not permitted to leave by vehicle.

KHOU-TV reported the Texas Department of Transportation was inspecting the causeway bridge to determine whether it was structurally sound.

Texas A&M University at Galveston updated students and the public about the situation throughout late Wednesday morning and early Wednesday afternoon on social media platform X.

Loading post…

Just after noon, the school said that the bridge remained closed, but that power had been restored and that its dining facility was open to anyone who needed to use it.

Loading post…

No injuries were reported.

The incident in South Texas occurred just two months after a cargo ship knocked out Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people and closing the city’s port.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.