Officials rush to shut down McKees Rocks Bridge after 23 barges break free in Pittsburgh – weeks after disaster that took down Key Bridge in Baltimore
- McKees Rocks police said just after midnight they were closing the bridge as a precaution
- A local police scanner page showed an estimated 23 vessels became loose on the river, with one hitting a marina dock
- It comes just weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a container ship
Authorities have been forced to close the McKees Rocks Bridge after 23 vessels reportedly broke free from a tugboat on the Ohio River.
McKees Rocks police said just after midnight they were closing the bridge as a precaution.
According to the department, a number of vessels are currently breaking loose on their way to the Ohio River.
A local police scanner page showed an estimated 23 ships moving down the river, with one hitting a marina dock.
In a statement, police said: “A number of vessels have broken loose and are traveling down the Ohio River.
McKees Rocks police said just after midnight they would close the bridge, seen here, as a precaution
According to the department, a number of vessels are currently breaking loose on their way to the Ohio River
A local police scanner page showed an estimated 23 ships moving down the river, one of which struck a marina dock
‘They may or may not come into contact with the lower classes, but we don’t want to take the risk. Avoid this area until further notice.
It comes just weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a container ship.
The ship, the Singapore-flagged Dali, had been sailing for 20 minutes when it struck a support column on the bridge.
Divers have recovered three bodies from the underwater wreckage, while the remaining three victims are still missing.
Crews have been working to free portions of the fallen bridge, including those that were tangled in a muddy mess at the bottom of the Patapsco River.