Twenty-six barges loaded mostly with dry cargo broke loose from a Pittsburgh marina late Friday night and floated uncontrollably down the Ohio River, causing extensive damage to neighboring docks according to officials.
The barges, which broke away from a vessel at the first mile marker, have all been accounted for but caused a substantial amount of damage to Peggy’s Marina. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said 23 of the barges were loaded with nonhazardous dry cargo including coal, and three were empty.
A news release from the city of Pittsburgh said 11 of the barges were found near a riverbank by Brunot Island and are being held by a tugboat. Nine barges stopped at Emsworth Dam, and of the remaining six that managed to bypass the dam, five were located and one is believed to have sunk.
Both the McKees Rock and West End bridges in Pittsburgh, which officials said were previously closed out of “an abundance of caution,” have since reopened.
Campbell Transportation Co., which owns and operates the barges, provided local station KDKA with the following statement:
“Campbell Transportation Company, Inc. is actively responding to a recent development involving a multi-barge breakaway in Pittsburgh. Our immediate priority is ensuring public safety and minimizing any potential environmental impact,” the statement said. “The incident occurred under high water conditions on the rivers resulting in strong currents due to flooding in the area.”
