No injuries reported after Houston Channel closed due to vessel collision
December 14, 2011
A cargo vessel and a tanker collided in the Houston Ship Channel yesterday morning, prompting coastguards to close a portion of the seaway.
No one was injured and no oil spilled in the waters north of Texas City Dike when the Charleston, a 630ft tanker, and the Harvest Sun, a 623ft cargo vessel, hit each other at 8am, local time.
The US Coast Guard service has closed the area where the two ships are now anchored to investigate the cause of the accident.
Foggy conditions that caused poor visibility may have contributed to the collision.
The Houston Ship Channel is a major seaway between the Gulf of Mexico and the port of Houston.
In October, a containership and chemical tanker hit each other at the Bayport Ship Channel and Houston Ship Channel intersection near light 75. No one was injured and there was no oil spill, but three containers from the 782ft containership Nederland fell onto the deck of the tanker.
Courtesy of IFW
