Beach closed between Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach after barge and tugboat wash ashore

BOCA RATON, Fla. — A stretch of Palm Beach County beach is closed Friday between Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach after a barge and tugboat washed ashore.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the vessels — which are connected — ran aground Thursday night around 8:45 p.m. near the 3100 block of South Ocean Boulevard.

Four people were on board, but no injuries were reported.

Military Sealift Command, the company that owns the cargo on board the barge, said the vessels were heading from Cape Canaveral to a military facility in the Bahamas, carrying supplies like food, fuel, and ammunition for training exercises at the facility.

All of the cargo is intact and secure, the company said.

The Coast Guard on Friday is conducting shoreside operations to remove fuel, oil, and other pollution risks to the area. Officials said there aren't currently any signs of pollution around the site.

A "safety zone" is in place along the Boca Raton-Deerfield Beach line, and the beach there is currently closed.

The city of Boca Raton said the closure runs from Osceola Drive to the Kirk Cottrell Pavilion at the Deerfield Beach Pier, and the beach may remain closed over the weekend.

Officials are asking people to avoid the area as the cause of the grounding is currently under investigation.