Tanker collides with cruise ship on Mississippi River in New Orleans

Key Points:

• A tanker, Atlantic Asphalt, collided with the docked American Cruise Lines’ river cruise ship American Heritage on the Mississippi River in New Orleans around 12:30 pm, prompting emergency rescue efforts for passengers and crew.
• The American Heritage had approximately 129 passengers onboard at the time and was in the process of disembarking when struck; multiple individuals were rescued from the water, with 24 patients admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
• Rescue operations involved New Orleans firefighters, police, the US Coast Guard, and emergency medical services, and the river was closed between mile markers 93 and 96 to facilitate response efforts.
• The collision caused the American Heritage to slowly roll onto its side, but the tanker narrowly avoided hitting the nearby Crescent City Connection bridge, which carries heavy daily traffic.
• The Atlantic Asphalt is a 2017-built oil tanker flagged in the Marshall Islands, owned by Nave Shipping SA, and had a prior minor violation in Canada; Louisiana’s governor announced he was en route to the scene.