Tanker strikes docked cruise ship in New Orleans, partially submerging it
A tanker struck the American Heritage river cruise paddleboat in New Orleans on Friday with 129 passengers aboard, partially submerging the boat, officials said.
Tanker strikes docked cruise ship in New Orleans, partially submerging it
A tanker struck the American Heritage river cruise paddleboat in New Orleans with 129 people aboard, partially submerging the boat, officials said.
In brief
- A tanker struck the American Heritage river cruise paddleboat in New Orleans with 129 passengers aboard.
- The cruise boat partially submerged after the collision on the Mississippi River.
- The Atlantic Asphalt tanker is 520 feet long and owned by Nave Shipping SA.
- Authorities did not immediately release whether there were injuries or deaths.
What happened
Authorities did not immediately release whether there were injuries or deaths. Video from the scene showed boats and rescuers scrambling to get people in life jackets out of the 66-degree Fahrenheit (19-degree Celsius) Mississippi River.
Video from the scene showed the much larger Atlantic Asphalt tanker hit the paddlewheel cruise boat while it appeared to be docked as metal and glass crashed and crunched. The boat quickly started to list to its side as passengers gathered near railings.
"Surreal — that’s what that was," witness Jamie Holford told WDSU-TV. "Fifteen minutes from impact to where it rolled over."
Luggage and other debris could be seen floating in the river. Survivors were being taken to a port of New Orleans building next door to the dock.
The vessels
The cruise ship was built in 2015 and operated by American Cruise Lines. It is five stories and can hold up to 150 passengers and was finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The Atlantic Asphalt tanker specializes in carrying large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, a semi-solid substance that is often used for road construction and roofing, according to the live shipping tracker MarineTraffic. Ships carrying asphalt and bitumen are often heated well above 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius) to prevent the asphalt from solidifying on the ship, according to the maritime periodical Marine Insights. It is not immediately clear whether the ship was carrying any materials when the crash occurred.
The 520-foot (160-meter) long vessel had a final destination in New Orleans, according to MarineTraffic, and was sailing under a flag for the Marshall Islands. It is owned by a company called Nave Shipping SA, which is registered in Monrovia, Liberia, according to the International Maritime Organization.
Why it matters
The collision left a river cruise boat partially submerged in the Mississippi River with 129 people aboard, and officials had not immediately confirmed injuries or deaths.
Sources
- bbc.com: Watch: Cruise ship seen on its side after collision with cargo ship
- globalnews.ca: 129 people aboard cruise ship struck by tanker in New Orleans, officials say - National | Globalnews.ca
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
Questions readers ask
- What happened in New Orleans on Friday?
- A tanker struck the American Heritage river cruise paddleboat while it was docked, partially submerging the vessel with 129 passengers aboard.
- Who operates the cruise ship involved in the collision?
- The cruise ship was built in 2015 and is operated by American Cruise Lines.
- Who owns the Atlantic Asphalt tanker?
- The vessel is owned by a company called Nave Shipping SA, which is registered in Monrovia, Liberia.
- How many passengers were on the cruise ship at the time of the accident?
- There were 129 passengers aboard the boat when the collision occurred.
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