A passenger paddlewheeler carrying nearly 190 people capsized and partially sank on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday after being struck by an asphalt tanker, leaving 32 people hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries as emergency crews rushed to rescue passengers from the water.
The collision occurred around midday on Friday when the 160-meter tanker Atlantic Asphalt collided with the docked 90-meter paddlewheel vessel American Heritage, according to reports by Vietnam.vn. The impact caused the cruise vessel to take on water, list heavily, and ultimately roll onto its side in the middle of the river.
Operators from tugboat companies, local police units, and federal responders converged on the scene to pull stranded travelers from the water. Authorities confirmed that all passengers and crew members were accounted for following the sudden accident.
Witnesses reported that the disaster unfolded within minutes of the initial impact.
“This is truly a miracle on the Mississippi. Imagine the number of people on that cruise ship and the fact that we managed to evacuate them all from the ship, getting them out of the water,” said Jeff Landry, Governor of Louisiana, as reported by Akurat.co.
Local authorities established triage zones near the port administration buildings to treat survivors before transferring the injured to area hospitals. Out of the roughly 180 to 190 individuals aboard the American Heritage, 32 were transported for medical care.
“We had about 32 people that were taken to the hospital, but none of them are in critical condition,” said Helena Moreno, Vice Mayor and official of New Orleans, according to CNN Indonesia.
Federal and local maritime agencies quickly suspended commercial vessel traffic along the affected stretch of the river to secure the site and begin analyzing the mechanics of the collision.
Captain Melanie Burnham of the US Coast Guard said that the asphalt tanker appeared to experience steering system failures, though a comprehensive inquiry remains underway.
| Vessel Name | Vessel Type | Length | Flag / Registry |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Heritage | Paddlewheel Cruise Ship | 90 meters | United States |
| Atlantic Asphalt | Asphalt Tanker | 160 meters | Marshall Islands |
The American Heritage was nearing the conclusion of an eight-day itinerary along the Mississippi River when the vessel was struck. The Atlantic Asphalt, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, sustained minor interference while operating in the federal waterway as investigators gathered data from marine tracking systems.
