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Mississippi River closed after barge sinking | Mississippi River closed after barge sinking |
(about 6 hours later) | |
The US Coast Guard has closed a five-mile stretch of the swollen Mississippi River after three barges sank. | The US Coast Guard has closed a five-mile stretch of the swollen Mississippi River after three barges sank. |
They were being pulled by tug boats when they broke loose near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, officials said. A fourth barge broke loose but was captured. | |
No injuries or pollution was reported, officials said. | No injuries or pollution was reported, officials said. |
The river has been experiencing record flooding in recent weeks, but officials said they were unsure if that contributed to the accident on Friday. | The river has been experiencing record flooding in recent weeks, but officials said they were unsure if that contributed to the accident on Friday. |
The high water has made navigating the river, one of America's most trafficked, hazardous. | The high water has made navigating the river, one of America's most trafficked, hazardous. |
The river is filled with debris and the fast-moving current has been complicated by powerful eddies and white caps. | The river is filled with debris and the fast-moving current has been complicated by powerful eddies and white caps. |
"You ask me, they should close it down altogether," Jerry Batson, captain of the tug Gladys Batson, told the Associated Press. "It's awful risky for any vessel." | "You ask me, they should close it down altogether," Jerry Batson, captain of the tug Gladys Batson, told the Associated Press. "It's awful risky for any vessel." |
The river was expected to crest at Natchez, Mississippi on Saturday at 61.8ft (18.8m), more than three feet above the record crest set in 1937. | The river was expected to crest at Natchez, Mississippi on Saturday at 61.8ft (18.8m), more than three feet above the record crest set in 1937. |
Authorities last weekend opened a spillway in southern Louisiana to take pressure off levees protecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans. | Authorities last weekend opened a spillway in southern Louisiana to take pressure off levees protecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans. |
More than 3,000 people have evacuated from flooded parishes in southern Louisiana. | More than 3,000 people have evacuated from flooded parishes in southern Louisiana. |
The river is not expected to recede to normal levels until mid-June. | The river is not expected to recede to normal levels until mid-June. |
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