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Tanker Collides with Docked River Cruise Boat in New Orleans
A total of 32 passengers were taken to local hospitals after a tanker struck a river cruise vessel on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday. According to local officials, all passengers have been accounted for, and none of the hospitalized individuals sustained critical injuries.
The incident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time (18:30 GMT) when the tanker Atlantic Asphalt lost control and collided with the American Heritage, a paddlewheel cruise boat carrying 129 passengers. The cruise boat had docked about two hours earlier to disembark guests at the end of an eight-day voyage across Louisiana and Mississippi.
Vessel Capsizes Following Impact
As disembarkation was underway, the collision caused the American Heritage to take on water, list heavily, and eventually capsize. The incident forced multiple people into the river. Rescuers retrieved more than a dozen individuals wearing life jackets from the 19-degree Celsius (66-degree Fahrenheit) water onto nearby vessels.
Emergency response operations involved several agencies:
- Port police
- The local fire department
- The United States Coast Guard
- Emergency medical services
Officials set up a triage area within the port's administration building to assist victims, and river traffic was suspended in the area.
Vessel Details and Investigation
The American Heritage is a five-deck paddlewheel boat built in 2015 with a maximum capacity of 150 passengers. Operator American Cruise Lines stated that all guests and crew were successfully evacuated and expressed concern for everyone involved.
The Atlantic Asphalt is a 160-meter (520-foot) vessel flagged in the Marshall Islands that carries bitumen and asphalt. The cause of the collision and whether the tanker was loaded with cargo remain under investigation.
Source: 32 passengers taken to hospital after tanker hits river cruise boat in US