Tanker, bulk carrier collide in foggy Houston Ship Channel; chemical leak reported

A portion of the Houston Ship Channel has been shut after two 600-foot ships collided in the fog, causing some leakage of a flammable liquid.

The Coast Guard says a gasoline additive aboard a chemical tanker is no longer leaking and crews are assessing how much spilled Monday. It's been identified as methyl tert-butyl ether — or MTBE.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Manda Emery says no injuries are reported but the immediate area has been closed, including the Barber's Cut Terminal.

She says the chemical tanker is the Danish-flagged Carla Maersk. The other vessel is the Liberian bulk carrier Conti Peridot.

She says it's unclear if rain and fog contributed to the second collision within a week on the channel, which is one of the busiest in the world.