Coal-filled barges break loose on river; 2 sink
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At least two coal-filled barges have sunk and about a dozen others have been corralled after they broke loose on a river in western Pennsylvania, colliding with bridges as they floated freely downstream.
The runaway barges were spotted Thursday on the Monongahela (muh-nahn-guh-HAYL'-uh) River outside Pittsburgh. Traffic was shut down for hours on two bridges spanning the river after the barges hit one of them and started drifting toward the other. A railroad bridge was also struck. Crews are inspecting the bridges that were hit.
Tugboats and other vessels were called in to secure the barges.
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The state Department of Environmental Protection says any coal that went into the river is unlikely to cause a threat downstream.