VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) — The Coast Guard says two oil barges were heavily damaged when they hit the railroad bridge over the Mississippi River at Vicksburg.
Petty Officer Carlos Vega says federal, state and local authorities are heading there to assess damage after the hit Sunday.
Vega says he does not know how much oil the barges are carrying or whether they are leaking. He says the industry's Oil Spill Response Organization, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and state and local authorities are on the way.
Vega says the Coast Guard received a call about the hit at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, and that the bridge has been inspected and is safe for trains.
The bridge is less than 400 feet upriver from the Interstate 20 bridge over the Mississippi River.
