An asphalt tanker collided with a passenger river cruise ship on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, causing the vessel to capsize.
Around 129 passengers were aboard the vessel at the time, alongside members of the crew.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene near the Port of New Orleans, launching a large-scale search and rescue operation. At least 14 individuals were pulled from the river, and several injured passengers were transported to local hospitals by the Acadian ambulance service.
BREAKING: Rescues underway as tanker collides with river cruiser near the Port of New Orleans in Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/ST49x9xwne
“Los equipos de emergencia están respondiendo a una colisión entre un buque de carga y un crucero fluvial”, informed the government of the city of New Orleans on its Facebook page, adding that “Se ha rescatado a varias personas y las labores de búsqueda y rescate continúan”.
Esto sigue siendo un incidente activo y en desarrollo. Port spokeswoman Kimberly Curth affirmed that the accident took place when a cruise-type ship with up to 129 people on board was rammed by a vessel, while the communications team for New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno reported to local media outlet WVUE that several river cruise passengers had already been rescued.
“Estamos trabajando en coordinación cercana con la Guardia Costera y las autoridades locales. […] Los pasajeros y la tripulación fueron evacuados, y estamos profundamente preocupados por todos los involucrados”, said American Cruise Lines in a statement reported by EL PAÍS.
MarineTraffic tracking data indicated that the cargo vessel measured 160 meters in length, approximately doubling the 81-meter size of the passenger ship.
Video footage from the area showed the vessel listing heavily, while tugboats moved in to secure the area near a bridge crossing the Mississippi, alongside a recording where a person recording was heard saying that the vessel was sinking rapidly, and another video showing the cargo vessel moving directly toward the cruise ship before the impact.
The Regional Transit Authority suspended local ferry services as emergency teams continued their work on the river. The exact cause of the collision remains under investigation by authorities.
“Nuestra prioridad inmediata es la seguridad de todos los pasajeros, miembros de la tripulación y equipos de emergencia. Se trata de un incidente activo y en desarrollo”, declared the manager of the Port of New Orleans in statements collected by CNN.
