A portion of the Pelican Island Bridge collapsed Wednesday morning after it was hit by a barge, closing the only road that connects the island to Galveston, Texas.
According to officials, the collision also caused an oil spill in the bay, resulting in the closure of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which is a "huge blow to operations as significant maritime commercial traffic uses the waterway along the Texas coast," ABC13 reports.
At about 10 a.m., the vessel under tow broke loose and slammed into the railroad side of the bridge, Henry said. The rail portion is not in use.
Officials believe two crew members on the ship were either thrown or jumped off, but they were rescued quickly, Henry told ABC13.
Vacuum oil gas is leaking from the barge, which has a capacity of 30,000 gallons. It wasn't immediately known how much oil gas the barge was carrying.
A view from SkyEye showed about a 300-foot sheen on the water in the bay.
Officials said that crews are at the scene assessing the damage to the bridge, including four TxDOT inspectors. (ABC13)
BREAKING: Barge strikes bridge in Galveston, Texas, partially collapsing rail line and closing the only road to a small island - AP pic.twitter.com/0vLlWRyqEK
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 15, 2024
🚨 #BREAKING: A barge has hit the Pelican Island bridge in Galveston, TX causing a partial collapse
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 15, 2024
Chemicals from the barge are now flowing into the water pic.twitter.com/cOtgm7vjpR
The incident comes nearly two months after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore, Maryland, following a ship strike.