An asphalt tanker smashed into a passenger riverboat carrying 180 people near the port of New Orleans on Friday afternoon, causing the vessel to rapidly list and partially submerge.
The 160-meter tanker Atlantic Asphalt collided with American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage at approximately 12:30 p.m. while the passenger boat was docked along the Mississippi River, according to port authorities cited by Noovo Info.
Video footage broadcast by CNN affiliate WDSU captured the moment the gigantic tanker struck the stationary paddlewheel boat, forcing it over onto its side. Passengers quickly gathered near the railings as the vessel began to take on water.
"Surréaliste — c’est exactement ce que c’était," said witness Jamie Holford, according to WDSU-TV via Noovo Info.
"Fifteen minutes elapsed between the impact and the moment the boat capsized," Holford told the station in comments reported by Noovo Info.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene as luggage and debris floated down the river. Survivors were evacuated to a port building situated directly adjacent to the dock.
"We have no missing persons, which is truly a miracle on the Mississippi," said New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno during a press conference, drawing applause from rescue workers and attendees.
Thirty-two people were transported to the hospital following the crash, though none suffered serious injuries. The five-story paddlewheel vessel, built in 2015, was finishing an eight-day cruise along destinations on the Mississippi River.
The Atlantic Asphalt sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is owned by Monrovia-registered Nave Shipping SA. Maritime tracking data shows the vessel specializes in hauling large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, substances typically kept heated above 120 °C to prevent solidification.
Authorities have not yet determined whether the tanker was carrying cargo at the time of the collision. Port NOLA port police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, and emergency medical services all responded to the disaster.
The U.S. Coast Guard temporarily closed a section of the Mississippi River to all vessel traffic while emergency crews worked at the site. The precise cause of the collision remains under active investigation.
