Collision of Bulk Carrier Yochow with Articulated Tug and Barge

At 0250 local time on June 13, 2018, the inbound bulk carrier Yochow collided with the articulated tug and barge OSG Independence/OSG 243, which was moored at the TPC Group, Inc. facility on the Houston Ship Channel in Houston, Texas. OSG 243’s tanks were empty and awaiting a cargo of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). As a result of the collision, two of the barge’s tanks and Yochow’s bulbous bow were holed, and the facility suffered extensive structural damage.