Cargo ship carrying 45K tons of solar salt runs aground in Delaware River in Philadelphia
Officials say the ship is carrying 45,000 tons of solar salt
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Work continues to free a massive cargo ship from the Bahamas that ran aground in the middle of the Delaware River on Wednesday night.
It got stuck around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia's Fishtown section, roughly between Penn Treaty Park and Petty Island.
A team from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay and the vessel's representatives are on board monitoring the situation and formulating a plan to safely move the vessel to a nearby terminal.
The vessel, named "Algoma Verity," is a Supramax, self-unloading bulk carrier and measures 623 feet long.
Maritime tracking websites report the ship left port in Philadelphia at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and was headed for Fairless Hills, Bucks County.
The ship is carrying 45,000 tons of solar salt, according to the Coast Guard.
The Philadelphia Fire Department marine unit responded to the grounding at 7 p.m.
So far, there are no reports of spills or pollution in the water, and no one was injured.
Tugboats are on scene Thursday morning as the Coast Guard works to re-float the ship so it can move on its way.
A safety zone has been established around the Algoma Verity, restricting vessel traffic from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to Tioga Marine Terminal. Vessels wishing to pass through the area will need to contact the Coast Guard Command Center.
