Coast Guard Restricts Mississippi Traffic Following Collision

The U.S. Coast Guard said it restricted traffic to one way in the vicinity of the International Matex Tank Terminals near Gretna, Louisiana, on the lower Mississippi River early Wednesday following a multi-vessel collision.

A Maltese-flagged vessel, Flag Gangos, lost control near mile marker 97.4 on the river on Tuesday evening and collided with Liberian-flagged vessel Pamisos and a barge, Web 235, which were both moored at the terminal for transfer operations, the Coast Guard said.

Number six fuel oil was being transferred from the barge when it broke free, and some oil was discharged into the river from a transfer hose, the Coast Guard said. The hose was immediately shut after the incident, according to the Coast Guard.

"Responders on scene deployed a boom in the area of the incident. Both the vessel Pamisos and the barge sustained damage, no injuries were reported," the Coast Guard said.

Reporting by Arpan Varghese and Ratul Ray Chaudhuri