Runaway barge damages Batam bridge in Indonesia
Accommodations barge APC Aussie 1 broke its anchor and hit a section of Batam's Barelang Bridge at 3.30am on Wednesday, cutting off residents of Pulau Galang Baru and Pulau Abang from the main island of Batam, Seatrade Asia online reports.
Batam Free Trade Zone spokesman Dwi Djoko Wiwoho was quoted as saying reports of damage or injuries were not yet available.
Apparently the 150-metre offshore support barge had been laid up in Galang waters for the past year, but the strong winds from a pre-dawn squall combined with the strong current at the time to cause it to break free and hit a section of Barelang Bridge, known as Raja Kecik Bridge or Bridge VI.
The crash destroyed one side of the two-way bridge that connects Galang Baru to Pulau Galang in the northwest, forcing local authorities to close both sides of the bridge.
The closure of the bridge has particularly isolated residents of Galang Baru and Abang as the bridge was their only road connection to the main island.