The source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the waterway has been closed to traffic by Navy officials as a safety precaution, and that power lines, now deactivated, were expected to be removed by April 3.
The accident took place last week near Birigui, about 500 km (310 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo city, and not far from a hydroelectric power facility, the source said. He estimated the river there was about 300 meters wide, making this kind of accident unusual.
He could not estimate how many barges were lined up waiting to get through.
Navy media officials said they would attempt to confirm the information with colleagues later on Thursday.
Nearby soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade turned higher due in part to reports of the accident.
Around 5 million tons of grains are transported through the waterway annually, the source said. He said he believed the barge was carrying 600 tons of soybeans.
Brazil is in the middle of harvesting what is expected to be a record soy crop, which could see it leapfrog the United States to claim the rank of top global soy producer.
Brazil 's ports are facing unprecedented congestion due to the bumper harvest with long queues of trucks and ships waiting to offload and receive cargo. (Reuters)
