HIGH WINDS CAUSE CASINO BOAT MISHAP

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- A strong gust of wind Wednesday caused the Players Riverboat Casino riverboat's boarding gate to open and smash into boat's ticket barge where passengers board, officials said.

The riverboat was approaching the ticket barge facility for mooring during its loading and unloading period. Six persons suffered minor injuries and were treated and released at Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis.

The gambling riverboat remained dockside Wednesday and will remain dockside until a complete examination of the vessel is completed, noted Lt. Robert Coller of the U.S. Coast Guard office at Paducah, Ky.

"It appears that the boat itself is in sound shape," Coller said. "It bumped the landing barge, but doesn't appear to have sustained any damage."

The Coast Guard, said Coller, performed a complete survey of the boat, inside and out. The mishap is still under investigation.

The riverboat remains open for gambling activities but will not be cruising.