A cruise ship with 129 people on board started sinking into the Mississippi River on Friday after being struck by a tanker.
American Cruise Lines’ paddle-wheel pleasure boat, American Heritage, was docked in New Orleans when the 520-foot-long Atlantic Asphalt struck it.
Disturbing images showed passengers aboard the cruise line holding on to railings as the ship started to capsize.
The 17,764-dwt vessel that hit the ship typically carries asphalt and was ballasting to Louisiana on Friday, Argus Media reported.
At the time of the collision, the specialized bitumen tanker designed to transport liquid bitumen and other heavy petroleum products at high temperatures, was empty.
Built in 2017, the ship carried the national flag of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, according to Vessel Finder.
The tanker had departed from the Gulf of Mexico on November 10 and was en route to US M8Y, which designates Mount Airy, Louisiana, according to Marine Traffic.
The vessel was navigating toward the Mount Airy terminal area along the Lower Mississippi River, the website noted.
The 520-foot-long Atlantic Asphalt struck an American Cruise Lines’ paddle-wheel pleasure boat, American Heritage in New Orleans
The tanker had departed from the Gulf of Mexico on November 10 and was en route to US M8Y, which designates Mount Airy, Louisiana
The tanker was supposed to arrive at the dock on November 11 at 12.30am, according to Vessel Finder.
Friday afternoon, the tanker was steering upriver to pick up cargo when it made a hard turn and crashed into the passenger ship, experts said.
It is still not clear what exactly caused the collision shortly after midday.
While the US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board said they are investigating the reason, local experts claimed that the tanker allegedly suffered a loss of control or steering failure before the crash, the New York Post reported.
‘This remains an active and evolving incident. The number of injuries and the cause of the collision have not yet been confirmed. Additional updates will be provided as information is confirmed,’ Port of New Orleans press secretary Kimberly Curth said.
The tanker was 160 meters long with a width of 23.5 meters and was painted green and red.
Its gross tonnage is roughly 14,485 and its deadweight is 17,764 tons, Vessel Finder noted.
The average speed of the tanker is between 11.2-14.6 knots.
A river pilot from the New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association was on board, a source told Nola.
Liberia-based Nave Shipping SA is the registered owner of the Atlantic Asphalt, the outlet reported.
Robert LeBlanc, founder and CEO of another vessel tracking service, claimed that Mississippi River’s currents potentially contributed to the tanker’s crash into the American Heritage.
People were being helped out of the water following the crash that led to the ship capsizing
The American Heritage was finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The cruise ship, which is five stories tall and can hold 150 passengers, was seen being pulled into the water as the tanker scraped past it.
Police officers could be seen running along the dock as terrified passengers screamed out.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said Friday around 4pm local time that 32 passengers from the cruise ship were in local hospitals. None had critical injuries.
Moreno added that zero people were unaccounted for, which she said was ‘truly a miracle on the Mississippi.’
Moreno added that the ship had just missed hitting a bridge that carries about 160,000 vehicles daily.
