Coast Guard Captain of the Port, New Orleans, reopened the Mississippi River to all traffic yesterday afternoon after an area around the International Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) between mile marker 96 and mile marker 98 had been reduced to one-way traffic due to a multiple vessel collision near Gretna early Wednesday.
Watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector New Orleans command center received a report, late Tuesday evening, that the Maltese-flagged vessel Flag Gangos had lost power and steering near mile marker 97.4 on the Lower Mississippi River. The Flag Gangos collided with the Liberian-flagged vessel Pamisos and the barge Web 235, both moored at the International Matex Tank Terminals conducting transfer operations.
The crew of the towing vessel Capt. Shawn D. Martinez was transferring number six fuel oil from the barge when the barge broke free causing some oil to be discharged into the river from the transfer hose. The hose was shut off immediately following the incident.
The WEB 235 is a 30,000-bbl. black oil/aphalt barge owned by Blessey Marine Services. Blessey also owns the 2,000-hp towboat Capt. Shawn Martinez.
Responders on scene deployed boom in the area of the incident. Both the vessel Pamisos and the barge sustained damage, no injuries were reported.
A Coast Guard Station New Orleans boatcrew and Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew were on scene to assist as needed.
The disabled vessel, Flag Gangos, is no longer impeding traffic and the Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.
