A cargo ship filled with grain and barge loaded with fuel oil were involved in a collision in the Houston Ship Channel on Friday, just north of where the channel intersects with the Texas City Ship Channel, the Galveston Ship Channel and the Intracoastal Waterway.
The barge, carrying 840,000 gallons of #6 fuel oil, sustained only minor damage and no oil leaked after the collision. A 30-foot hole was ripped in the hull of the cargo ship, the Genius Star VII, sending bags of rice spilling out of the vessel, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
No one was injured in the impact, and traffic in the channel was not disrupted. The vessels were able to move up the channel under their own power to be repaired.
The Coast Guard credited the rapid response of Texas City marine safety personnel for averting environmental disaster. Investigators were looking into the cause of the accident, and it was not yet certain if any citations would be issued for the incident.
The maritime accident attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent workers injured in vessel collisions.
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