Catastrophic Ohio river lock break near Warsaw blocking ship traffic

A potential "catastrophic" lock break took place on Ohio river at 9 a.m. ET canceling the vessels traffic in both directions. By definition, a lock is a segment of the waterway, usually on a river, which is closed by gates. The ships transiting the area, get into the lock that controls the water level (higher or lower) in order to adjust the elevation differences. The cause of the Ohio lock damage that occured about 100 km northeast of Louisville Kentucky is still unknown. The main cargo passing through Markland gates is coal that supplies many electrical power plants located along Ohio river. Info on when the traffic will be reopen still on-hold.