A tank vessel struck a moored passenger vessel in New Orleans on Friday, sending multiple people into the Mississippi River as rescuers rushed to evacuate those on board, ilpost.it reported.
A total of 180 passengers and crew members were on the cruise vessel when the collision occurred.
The impact caused the river vessel to list and capsize onto its side shortly afterward. Rescue crews from various tugboats and local agencies responded immediately to pull people from the water.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno stated during a press conference that 32 people were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. She said that no fatalities or missing persons were reported following the emergency response.
“We don’t have anyone missing, which is truly a miracle on the Mississippi,” Moreno told ilpost.it, referencing the historic Hudson River plane landing in 2009.
First responders, tugboat operators, and harbor workers converged on the scene immediately following the crash. Water temperatures in the Mississippi River measured 19 degrees Celsius at the time of the incident.
“It was total chaos,” Devon Flanagan, a port worker who witnessed the event, told the Associated Press. “There were boats of every kind, barges, and other companies trying to help, which made the situation a little complicated because there were still people in the water.”
Investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of the collision. Preliminary suspicions focus on a potential steering control system failure aboard the larger vessel.
Footage broadcast by ABC News captured the moment the tank vessel Atlantic Asphalt slowly approached and struck the smaller river cruise ship American Heritage. The American Cruise Lines vessel features five decks with a capacity of 150 passengers and was finishing an eight-day cruise along the river.
Earlier coverage: Atlantic Asphalt Tanker Hits American Heritage Ship in New Orleans
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