New Orleans port sues to get control of tanker that crashed into cruise ship on Mississippi River

On Friday, a tanker named Atlantic Asphalt crashed into a docked cruise ship on the Mississippi River near New Orleans, causing significant damage. All 197 passengers and crew on the American Heritage cruise ship safely survived the crash, as did the tanker's crew. Thirty-two people were taken to the hospital, but none of the injuries were critical, and eight remained hospitalized on Saturday.

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans filed a lawsuit against the Atlantic Asphalt's owner, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a Chinese state-owned conglomerate. The lawsuit demanded federal investigators seize the vessel, claiming it caused at least $1 million in damage to the port's terminal.

The tanker lost its steering and slammed into the cruise ship, which was moored at the terminal. Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham said the first step in the rescue operation was to safely remove 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of fuel from the tanker. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched investigators to New Orleans to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Passenger Joe Knab recounted the harrowing experience, saying the tanker's horn was the first warning he received. The ship immediately started leaning and eventually rolled, sending him and about 100 other passengers and crew into the Mississippi River. Despite the challenging conditions, life vests worn by the passengers likely saved lives by helping them float and be retrieved.

The American Heritage cruise ship, which had just completed an eight-day journey along the Mississippi River, remains turned on its side against the terminal. The Coast Guard expects the rescue operation to take weeks, as they prioritize safely removing the fuel before moving the ship.