The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans filed a federal lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages after the Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck the docked American Heritage paddlewheeler on Friday.
The lawsuit, filed late Friday in federal court, names the Atlantic Asphalt tanker along with its owner, Nave Shipping SA, and its management company, Thome Ship Management, as defendants. U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter approved a court order authorizing the seizure of the vessel following the incident.
Due to the residual delays from the nationwide ground stop, the NTSB will no longer send a board member and will instead send a team of investigators by ground to the scene of the vessel collision in New Orleans. No media briefings are planned at this time. Updates on the… https://t.co/3s6A2m1YIc
Port officials maintained that the tanker failed to comply with safety requirements and did not take appropriate precautions to avoid colliding with the stationary passenger ship. The complaint estimates that repairs to the Thalia Street Terminal alone will exceed $1 million, though officials said that additional defendants could be named and damages could increase as the investigation unfolds.
Management company Thome Ship Management said that the crew of the Atlantic Asphalt is safe and accounted for and that the ship has been stabilized and anchored for damage assessments. “OSM Thome is fully complying with the local authorities as they carry out the necessary investigations,” the company said in a statement.
The vessel involved in the collision is registered in the Marshall Islands and was built in 2017. Chief Melanie Montroll of the New Orleans Harbor Police said that initial evidence points toward a mechanical failure, saying that there appeared to be some kind of steering loss on the tanker. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham also said during a news conference that the tanker appeared to experience a loss of steering, though the exact reason is under investigation.
A river pilot from the New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association was operating the tanker at the time of the crash. President Donald Trump was briefed on the collision and praised the United States Coast Guard for its rescue work, while Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that by the grace of God, no lives were lost during the incident.
I am devastated to hear about the ships crashing near the Port of New Orleans. I am monitoring the situation closely and praying for the swift rescue of survivors and for all emergency crews responding to the situation.https://t.co/igj4ViRvGX
The tanker collided with the American Cruise Lines vessel around 12:30 p.m. as passengers were beginning to disembark from a cruise. The impact caused the passenger ship to list heavily before turning on its side against the terminal.
Bystanders, tugboat operators, and police officers pulled dozens of people from the water.
UPDATE: All individuals involved in today's vessel collision on the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans have been accounted for, with no reported fatalities or critical injuries. For the latest information read the City's full press release at https://t.co/peElpWszmQ pic.twitter.com/jwRPeACPMv
Brian Clesi, captain of the riverboat Creole Queen, and second mate Ellis “Jimmy” Kimball Jr. deployed their rescue boat to pull nine people from the river.
Thirty-two people were transported to local hospitals, including two Harbor Police officers who ended up in the river, though none of the injuries were reported as critical.
State and city leaders praised the rapid response of emergency personnel. “This is a miracle,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said at a news conference. “The Mississippi River is not some quiet pond, right? I mean, there were challenges out there.”
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno echoed the sentiment, calling the outcome “a literal miracle on the Mississippi” during a briefing with reporters.
Earlier this afternoon a tanker hit a cruise ship along the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The cruise ship took on water and eventually flipped. Because of the heroic work of our first responders ALL PASSENGERS have been accounted for. This is nothing short of a miracle.… pic.twitter.com/dol1SsaRcN
The U.S. Coast Guard established a restricted safety zone around the wreck site while salvage operations and investigations continued. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said that 16,000 gallons of fuel remained on board the capsized cruise ship, making the safe removal of hazardous materials a top priority.
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a team to investigate the cause of the collision, after members were initially delayed by nationwide air traffic control communications issues.
NOLAREADY: For information on missing persons potentially involved in today's river collision, call 3-1-1 in New Orleans or 504-539-3266 outside New Orleans.
Earlier coverage: New Orleans Cruise Ship Capsizes After Tanker Strike, Officials Say
