More than 100 people have been rescued after a tanker collided with a river cruise boat docked near the port of New Orleans, leaving the pleasure vessel partially submerged.
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All aboard survived after the crash prompted a massive rescue operation for passengers and crew who plunged into the Mississippi River as the ship took on water and began to topple over.
Speaking at a news conference, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said zero people were unaccounted for, which truly “is a miracle on the Mississippi”.
The mayor said 32 people were taken to hospital, but none of them had critical injuries.
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She said people who were not injured were brought to a nearby auditorium, and cruise officials did a roll call to make sure everyone was accounted for.
US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin earlier wrote on social media that “every asset is helping rescue missing passengers” and that his department was coordinating closely with state officials.
Footage of the incident shows the cruise ship listing heavily as passengers cling on to railings.
Devon Flanagan was at his job nearby at the Port of New Orleans when workers rushed down the dock.
Local media report that at least 14 people have been rescued from the water. (AP)
He got out of his truck and saw the American Heritage on its side and passengers in the water.
“It was just chaos,” he told AP.
“You had all types of ships, like other barges and other companies down there trying to help out, which also was a little convoluted because you had people still in the water.”
Local TV showed videos of the cruise ship listing on its side, while CBS News reported that at least 14 people had been rescued from the water.
The cruise ship has a capacity for 150 people and was built in 2015, American Cruise Lines says on its website.
Experts say videos indicate some kind of catastrophic system failure on the tanker and “super bad luck” may have caused the incident. (AP)
The Advocate newspaper, citing unnamed Port of New Orleans officials, reported that 129 passengers were aboard the American Heritage cruise ship when it was hit by the Atlantic Asphalt, a tanker, about 12:30pm local time.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it planned to investigate the crash, but members were initially unable to make it to New Orleans because all flights nationwide were grounded due to communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.
An American Heritage river cruise paddleboat is seen on its side after being struck by the Atlantic Asphalt tanker ship in the Mississippi River. (AP)
Martin Davies, a maritime law expert at Tulane University, told AP it was too early to tell what might have caused the crash, but videos indicated some kind of catastrophic system failure on the tanker and “super bad luck” that it struck the boat as passengers were departing.
In an emailed statement, American Cruise Lines said it was coordinating with the US Coast Guard and local authorities.
“Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved,” the company said.
AFP/Reuters
Source: www.abc.net.au
