The US Coast Guard has called off the search for two crew members who were missing after a tank barge suffered an explosion off Texas.
Authorities had been searching for two men from the Bouchard Transportation's 9,800-gt B No 255 (built 1999) after the Friday morning incident.
The 158,000-barrel black oil barge suffered a fire and explosion while off Port Aransas, touching off a search for two crewmen who were unaccounted for.
Coast Guard rescue teams continue their searches as long as they believe the seafarers can survive.
The agency suspended the search at midnight last night, Petty Officer Edward Wargo told TradeWinds today.
The US-flag oceangoing barge was operating as part of an articulated tug barge with the 6,140-bhp Buster Bouchard (built 1979) Friday morning when the tug's master alerted the Coast Guard to the incident.
While two members were unaccounted for, one of them had already been confirmed dead soon after the incident, though details were not clear.
Though the search for survivors is over, Bouchard and authorities are still working together to minimise environmental impact from the incident.
Containment boom and oil spill assets are on scene, but a small amount have oil has impacted shoreline on Mustang Island, the Coast Guard said.
Some navigation channels have been closed during the response, though the key Lydia Ann Channel and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway have remained open.
The barge is classed by American Bureau of Shipping.
