New Orleans port sues tanker owners over cruise ship collision, claiming more than $1m in damage
The Port of New Orleans is suing the owners and managers of a tanker that crashed into a cruise ship docked in New Orleans on Friday. According to court documents, the port claims the tanker was at fault for the collision, which caused more than $1m (£756k) in damage.
On Friday afternoon, the paddlewheel cruise ship American Heritage was left on its side and partially submerged in the Mississippi River after it was hit by the cargo vessel Atlantic Asphalt. More than 100 passengers were rescued from the river.
The collision left 32 people in hospital with non-critical injuries, but no one was unaccounted for. Officials hailed the rescue as a 'miracle on the Mississippi'.
The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation. US Coast Guard Capt Melanie Burnham said: 'There seems to be some type of a loss of steering.'
The court documents say the port terminal 'was significantly damaged' in the incident. The tanker, the M/V Atlantic Asphalt, its owner Nave Shipping SA, and its management company, Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd, are all named in the federal court lawsuit filed on Friday in the Eastern District of Louisiana court.
The port is seeking money to cover cleanup, inspections, repairs and other expenses. The lawsuit also requests that the tanker be seized and sold to pay for the damage. It alleges that the collision occurred as a result of the 'negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness' of the ship and operating companies, and that they failed 'to use all available means to avoid the risk' of colliding with the riverboat.
Nave Shipping is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. The BBC has contacted the China State Shipbuilding Corporation for comment.
Thome Ship Management has also been contacted. The firm said in a statement on Saturday that the crew of the Atlantic Asphalt were safe and accounted for. 'OSM Thome is fully complying with the local authorities as they carry out the necessary investigations,' it said.
According to the port authority, there were about 129 passengers, in addition to crew members, on the American Heritage at the time of the collision. Tugboat operators, police and other rescuers rushed to help, while officials shut down traffic in the Mississippi River during the rescue effort.
The American Heritage had been finishing an eight-day cruise calling at destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi along the waterway. Officials are still investigating the full extent of the damage from the crash, as well as its cause.
