Barges come loose on Mississippi River

Several barges came loose Sunday morning from a towboat carrying 25 barges on the Mississippi River north of Cape Girardeau.

Rick Schmidt of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said that soon after the barges came loose, all but five were accounted for. Four of them were found and tied up near Cape Girardeau, and at least one barge, tied up near the Broadway flood gate, completely sank into the river.

Schmidt said the river was shut down north of Cape Girardeau, around the area where the barges originally came loose, but said the Paducah Coast Guard was working to get all of the barges under control. The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge between Cape Girardeau and Illinois was shut down for a brief time as a precautionary measure, he said, but was reopened.

Schmidt said he was unsure how the barges came loose.

Pertinent address:

Broadway and North Water Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.