Coast Guard responds to Ohio River barge collision

The Coast Guard is responding to a barge collision on the Ohio River near Joppa, Illinois, Wednesday.

Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley watchstanders were notified a collision took place between the towing vessel Christina Belcher, pushing two crude oil barges, and a loaded sand barge in a fleeting area at mile marker 952, at around 3 a.m.

There were no reported injuries.

One of the oil barges, reportedly carrying an estimated 921,000 gallons of crude oil, was damaged but remains intact with no reported pollution.

The sand barge was reportedly damaged and sank outside the navigable waterway.

Personnel from Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah, Kentucky, are on scene and will supervise response and recovery efforts.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

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