A 334-meter containership has run aground on the Lower Mississippi River near Poydras, Louisiana.
The U.S. Coast Guard reports that watch standers at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call at 3:20 a.m. Friday that the Belita had run aground near 12-mile point, located at mile marker 81.
The Coast Guard has placed a one-way traffic restriction in the immediate vicinity of the grounded vessel.
“Our top priority in this incident is the safe recovery of this vessel, while protecting the marine environment,” said Capt. Kristi Luttrell, Sector New Orleans commanding officer.
There are no reports of pollution or injuries.
The MV Belita is registered in Liberia and was built in 2006. It has a carrying capacity of 8,204 TEU. AIS ship tracking data shows the vessel was headed for New Orleans from Mobile, Alabama.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
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