Tanker lost steering, hit docked cruise ship; vessel capsized in Mississippi River.
All 180-plus aboard survived; 32 hospitalised, none critically injured, mayor says.
Coast Guard and NTSB to investigate; tanker is linked to a Chinese state firm.
A tanker lost control and slammed into a docked paddle wheeler cruise ship on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday. The vessel rolled over and sank within minutes, throwing dozens of passengers into the water. However, all passengers and crew were found safe and accounted for.
The accident occurred around midday, when the tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck the American Heritage, a five-storey luxury paddle wheeler operated by American Cruise Lines. The ship was moored at the Port of New Orleans at the time.
According to a Times of India report, the tanker Atlantic Asphalt, whose owner MarineTraffic links to China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a Chinese state-owned firm, will be examined by the Coast Guard and the NTSB as they investigate the incident.
"It was docked right at the Port of New Orleans when a tanker ship lost control and collided into the cruise ship," Mayor Helena Moreno said. The vessel took on water, listed sharply and eventually flipped while passengers were still trying to disembark.
'A Miracle On The Mississippi'
Between 180 and 190 passengers and crew were aboard, according to the mayor, although the vessel's listed capacity is 150 passengers. Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said about 87 passengers had already left the ship before it capsized.
Tugboat operators, dock workers, firefighters, police officers and bystanders on nearby vessels rushed in to pull people from the river, where the water temperature was around 19°C. Dozens of passengers and at least two police officers were rescued. Moreno praised the coordinated response of local, state and federal personnel and said she was relieved to report "zero people unaccounted for," calling it a miracle as rescuers cheered.
Thirty-two people were taken to hospital, but none sustained critical injuries.
Chaos On The Waterfront
Devon Flanagan, who was working nearby, said he saw workers running towards the dock before he noticed the ship overturned and passengers struggling in the water.
"It was just chaos," he said, describing how barges and other vessels converged to help, which made the scene harder to manage with people still in the water.
