US Ship Canal in Houston closed Friday due to tugboat sinking

HOUSTON (ICIS) – The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) closed the Houston Ship Channel Friday afternoon after a tugboat sank, according to a notice from Moran Shipping.

It’s unclear how long the canal will be closed as emergency responders are currently conducting search and rescue operations, said JJ Plunkett of the Houston Pilots.

The closure is at traffic light 122, near where the Lynchburg ferry offers passage from La Porte to Baytown.

Moran Shipping said efforts were underway to minimise pollution from the fuel leaks and mitigate the impact on canal traffic and that salvage operations could take at least 48 hours.

The following image from VesselFinder.com shows numerous oil tankers (orange) and cargo ships (yellow) in the canal.

Source: VesselFinder.com

Light 122 is located on the right side of the image near the canal entrance.