A tanker slammed into a docked passenger riverboat on the Mississippi River on Friday afternoon (Nov. 13), flipping the vessel onto its side and setting off a large rescue operation, officials said.
The American Heritage, an American Cruise Lines paddlewheeler, was hit at about 12:30 p.m. while tied up at the Port of New Orleans. Port officials said it had been at the dock for roughly two hours and was just starting to let passengers off. Close to 130 people were aboard, the company and port said. The vessel can carry up to 150 guests.
The tanker, identified as the Atlantic Asphalt, hit the riverboat with enough force to roll the vessel over. Video from the scene showed the boat lying on its side against the dock, and people in life jackets were seen in the water.
At a news conference later in the afternoon, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said no passengers were unaccounted for, and 32 passengers were taken to local hospitals, none with critical injuries.
American Cruise Lines said the boat’s guests and crew were evacuated, and that it was working closely with the Coast Guard and local authorities.
The cause of the collision is not known. Moreno said there appeared to be “some sort of loss of steering,” and investigators are working to determine what happened. Public records list the tanker as based in the Marshall Islands and owned by Chinese and Liberian companies.
The Coast Guard has shut the river to all vessel traffic for a roughly three-mile stretch while responders work. The RTA’s cross-river ferry service has been suspended, and a festival held near the riverfront was called off for the day.
The riverboat had left New Orleans on a multi-day cruise set to run upriver toward Baton Rouge and Vicksburg, Mississippi, before turning back.
This is an ongoing story. Check back for updates.
