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One barge remains missing.
Washington Post (via Getty Images)
The city of Pittsburgh announced that more than 20 barges were let loose in Pittsburgh and floated “uncontrolled” down the Ohio River.
Around 11:25 p.m. Friday, 26 barges escaped from the facility near Peggy's Harbor, a marina on the north bank of the Ohio River, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Eyob Mills told the Post.
Twenty-three of the ships were loaded with dry cargo such as coal, but three were empty. There were no reports of injuries or pollution, but there was “significant damage” to Peggy's Harbor, the city said.
Eleven of the barges were anchored to the riverbank near Bruno Island. 14 people went down the river and 6 people went over Emsworth Dam. It is unclear whether the barge that crossed the dam caused any damage.
As a result, bridge and rail traffic was temporarily shut down.
As of about 3 p.m. Saturday, all but one vessel had been accounted for, Mills said. He added that authorities are trying to locate the missing barge before proceeding with the investigation.
“This is a dynamic situation, so things are constantly changing,” Mills said.
Campbell Transportation Company, the shipping and service company that owns the barge, did not respond to a request for comment. The company told KDKA in a statement that it is cooperating with authorities, but noted that “this incident occurred during high river conditions with strong currents caused by flooding in the area.”
