Oil tanker collides with river ship in New Orleans, all 180 people survive, 32 sent to hospital
Quick Look
- Moreno, the mayor of New Orleans in the United States, said that a tanker was suspected of steering failure and crashed into a river ship docked at the dock.
- All 180 passengers and crew on board survived, and 32 people were sent to the hospital, but no one was seriously injured.
- The accident occurred in the Mississippi River.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The accident occurred on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, USA. An oil tanker crashed into a docked river ship due to suspected steering failure. The river ship was operated by American Cruise Lines and was built in 2015. The five-story ship can carry up to 150 passengers. It was completing an eight-day voyage and visited various locations along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Mississippi.
(Central News Agency, Houston, Comprehensive Foreign Reports on the 13th) New Orleans Mayor Moreno said that an oil tanker was suspected of steering failure today and hit a river ship docked at the dock. The river ship was carrying 180 passengers and crew. It is reported that all people on board survived, and 32 people were sent to hospital, but no one was seriously injured.
The Associated Press reported that after the accident, the river ship began to take on water and gradually capsized. The passengers and crew fell into the Mississippi River, triggering a large-scale rescue operation. Fortunately, everyone on board survived.
Video from the scene showed that the much larger tanker "Atlantic Asphalt" hit the river ship "American Heritage", shattering the metal and glass of the hull.
Tugboat operators, nearby workers, police and multiple other rescue workers rushed to assist. Helena Moreno called it a "miracle on the Mississippi River."
Moreno said 32 people were sent to hospital, but none were in critical condition.
The river ship began to list within minutes and capsized while rescuers were still trying to evacuate everyone from the vessel. Dozens of people on board the boat and at least two police officers were pulled from the 19-degree water into a nearby boat.
Witness Devon Flanagan said: "The scene was chaotic. All kinds of boats, including other barges and boats from different companies, came to help, but it also made the situation a little complicated because there were people in the water at the time."
The river ship was built in 2015 and operated by American Cruise Lines. It is five stories high and can carry up to 150 passengers.
The "American Heritage" was concluding an eight-day voyage during which it visited various locations along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Open Questions
- What is the specific reason for the tanker's steering failure?
- Will the accident trigger an investigation by relevant authorities?
- Will the river ship be salvaged or scrapped?
