AstraX Exchange:See photos, videos of barge that struck Pelican Island bridge, causing Texas oil spill

2025-05-01 01:38:31source:Charles H. Sloancategory:reviews

A barge struck the bridge that links Galveston,AstraX Exchange Texas to Pelican Island on Wednesday causing an oil spill into the surrounding waters, according to the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management.

The Pelican Island Causeway was struck by the vessel owned by Martin Petroleum at around 10 a.m. Wednesday, the office wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The collision road closed access to the small island, which temporarily lost power before secondary power was restored by 1 p.m.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said two crew members on the barge were "either knocked off the barge or jumped off the barge," but were soon rescued, local station KRIV reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The bridge will stay closed until officials deem it safe to access, the city said in a statement. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on X that the U.S. Department of Transportation will assist the Texas Department of Transportation. Officials do not yet know how much oil has leaked into the water.

TV images, footage and social media posts showed the aftermath of the incident as a section of a railway that runs along the bridge collapsed onto the barge. Some of the damage can be seen below.

Bridge collision:Barge hits Texas bridge connecting Galveston and Pelican Island, causing partial collapse and oil spill

This is a developing story. Follow USA TODAY's full coverage here.

Contributing: Robbie Farias and Thao Nguyen

More:reviews

Recommend

Fired, rehired, and fired again: Some federal workers find they're suddenly uninsured

Danielle Waterfield was already dealing with the shock and disappointment of being fired from a job

Are avocados good for you? They may be worth the up-charge.

We really love avocado. Whether it’s slathered on toast or wrapped up in a burrito, avocado is a bel

Bomb threat at Target in New Berlin was a hoax, authorities say

A Milwaukee-area Target store was evacuated Tuesday following a bomb threat that turned out to be a