Everyone aboard the American Heritage riverboat was accounted for after a tanker struck the vessel on the Mississippi River in New Orleans Friday, according to city officials. The mayor said about 32 people were taken to hospitals, with none suffering critical injuries; investigators have not determined why the tanker lost control.

Rescue teams accounted for everyone aboard

The collision happened as the American Heritage was docked near the Port of New Orleans. The larger tanker, identified by officials as the Atlantic Asphalt, hit the riverboat, which began to list and partially submerged. Port officials initially reported about 129 passengers aboard, while later estimates from the mayor put the total number of passengers and crew at roughly 180.

Local responders, Coast Guard personnel, harbor police and people on nearby vessels helped evacuate passengers and crew. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno later said no one was unaccounted for. The 32 hospitalizations were reported as non-critical by officials.

The cause remains under investigation

Coast Guard officials said the tanker appeared to have suffered some kind of steering problem, but stressed that the exact cause was not known. That preliminary observation is not a final finding. The National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate the collision.

The incident damaged the riverboat and temporarily disrupted vessel activity around the port. The Coast Guard said traffic was restricted near the collision site while emergency operations were underway; the status of any later reopening should be checked with current port notices.

See more updates in The Globuzz’s Today’s News section.

Sources

Associated Press: All passengers and crew accounted for · Reuters report, republished by Internazionale · ABC News: rescue update and NTSB investigation