Tanker capsizes docked river cruise ship in New Orleans; 32 taken to hospitals
The Atlantic Asphalt struck the American Heritage on the Mississippi River. Authorities accounted for all passengers and crew and reported no deaths or critical injuries. Investigators have yet to determine what caused the crash.
A tanker struck a docked river cruise ship at the Port of New Orleans on Friday, November 13. The American Heritage took on water and rolled onto its side in the Mississippi River as passengers and rescuers struggled to get off the vessel and out of the water. After a headcount, officials said no one remained missing. Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals, none with critical injuries, Mayor Helena Moreno said.
The crash happened at about 12:30 p.m. local time. Port officials identified the other vessel as the Atlantic Asphalt and said the American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, had arrived at the dock roughly two hours earlier to begin disembarking passengers. About 129 passengers were aboard, along with crew members. A later estimate of roughly 180 people from the mayor’s office referred to everyone aboard, not passengers alone.
The impact caused the riverboat to list and become partially submerged. Harbor police, firefighters, the Coast Guard, port workers and crews from nearby boats helped evacuate people. Two harbor police officers were among those hospitalized, local broadcaster WVUE reported. Officials accounted for all passengers and crew before ending the search for anyone missing.
The cause has not been established. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said the tanker appeared to have suffered some kind of loss of steering, while stressing that investigators had not determined exactly what happened. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team. Those early observations do not establish a mechanical failure or assign responsibility.
The Coast Guard temporarily closed a stretch of the Mississippi near the crash site to allow rescue crews to work and secure the area. River traffic and salvage operations may change as the response continues. With everyone accounted for, officials turned to caring for those affected and investigating how the collision happened on one of the country’s busiest waterways.
