NEW ORLEANS – A grounded vessel near the mouth of the Mississippi River caused the Coast Guard to shut down the river today, causing delays for dozens of ships.
The 837-foot deep-draft vessel Anglo Alexandria, which is flagged out of the UK, ran aground near mile marker 3.5 around 8:30 a.m., according to the Coast Guard.
A tug boat was headed to the scene just after noon, and all river traffic was halted until the grounded vessel could be freed.
No pollution has occurred because of the incident, and no injuries have been reported.
The cause of the grounding is still under investigation.
Around 50 other ships have been prevented from traveling in the river due to the closure so far, according to the Coast Guard.
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