Officials say a barge struck a bridge in Galveston, Texas, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island
GALVESTON, Texas — A ship struck a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
A bridge leading to Pelican Island, located just north of Galveston, was struck by a ship around 9:30 a.m., said Ronnie Varela of Galveston's Office of Emergency Management.
Varela had no immediate information about damage to the bridge or possible injuries.
Varela said the collision caused an oil leak and crews were working to clean it up.
The Galveston County Sheriff's Office told KTRK that a large portion of the bridge had fallen. Images broadcast by KTRK showed pieces of concrete on the ship.
In an online statement, Texas A&M University in Galveston said, “The Pelican Island Bridge is closed to all traffic at this time due to a barge. Electricity has been restored and additional updates will be provided as the situation develops.”
