Mississippi River Traffic Limited After Ship Hits 2 Vessels
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says a three-mile stretch of the Mississippi River in southern Louisiana is limited to one-way traffic upriver, a day after a ship broke free of its mooring and hit two other vessels.
Damon Williams, a civilian in the Coast Guard command center, said ships were only moving upriver Tuesday near Convent, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The Coast Guard had closed several miles of river on Monday after the Privocean — a 751-foot bulk carrier — broke free, drifted and struck a 98-foot towing vessel, the Texas. Petty Officer Carlos Vega said the Texas took on water and grounded on a river bank. Authorities said the Privocean drifted further downriver and hit the 816-foot tank ship Bravo, which spilled about 420 gallons of crude oil.
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