A massive cargo ship carrying salt ran aground on the US-Canada border near Detroit, where it sat stuck in the mud for hours.

Crowds gathered along the Detroit River after the MV Mark W Barker, a massive 639-foot-long freighter, ran aground near Belle Isle.

The cargo ship was carrying a load of 21,000 metric tons of salt, and destined for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The US Coast Guard confirmed it the ship was stuck around 8.00am Wednesday morning.

The freighter M/V Mark W. Barker ran aground near Belle Isle on Wednesday morning (Picture: AP)

‘No injuries, pollution, or damage reported,’ the US Coast Guard Great Lakes Command said. ‘River remains open to all traffic. Planning underway to refloat & determine cause.’

The Coast Guard later determined the ship lost propulsion after it got stuck in the mud and sand along the coast of Belle Isle.

The ship reportedly ‘experienced a loss of power and maneuverability,’ a spokesperson for shipping company Interlake Steamship Company told the Detroit News.

‘The vessel turned to port unexpectedly and the ship’s captain dropped the anchor before the bow grounded on the soft bank of the channel,’ the company said.

The freighter became stuck along the Detroit River, which is the border between Michigan and Windsor, Ontario (Picture: USCG Great Lakes)

Meanwhile, locals flocked to Belle Isle, the site of a large public park, conservatory, and aquarium, to watch the scene unfold. Others watched patiently on livestreams, hoping for a repeat of the drama when the container ship the Ever Given became stuck in the Suez Canal.

‘This doesn’t happen that often,’ one local onlooker told WXYZ-Detroit. ‘I mean, you could almost touch the ship.’

Local commercial tugboats were able to free the ship around 12.10pm, the Coast Guard said. It was brought to the Belle Isle anchorage, where it will undergo inspection.

‘For such an unfortunate event, it was the best-case scenario,’ Coast Guard Lt Junior Grade Adeeb Ahmad said. ‘It happened right next to our Coast Guard station on Belle Isle.’

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Crowds gathered along the Detroit River to watch the 639-foot-long freighter.