Tanker hits docked riverboat in New Orleans: 32 people taken to hospital and everyone aboard accounted for, mayor says
A tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, collided with the docked American Cruise Lines riverboat American Heritage on the Mississippi River in New Orleans at about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, the Port of New Orleans said. As passengers were disembarking, the riverboat rolled over and people went into the water. Mayor Helena Moreno said 32 people were taken to hospital, none with critical injuries, and that everyone aboard was accounted for. The Coast Guard has closed part of the river, and the NTSB is sending a team to investigate.
Checking in progress
This story is still being checked. Claims below are published as claims — never dressed as facts — and each one moves only when the evidence earns it.
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Key points
- A tanker collided with the docked American Heritage riverboat in New Orleans at about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, the Port of New Orleans says.
- Mayor Moreno says 32 people were taken to hospital, none critically, and everyone aboard is accounted for, after the riverboat rolled over as passengers disembarked.
- The Coast Guard has closed the Mississippi between mile markers 93 and 96, and the NTSB is sending an investigation team.
What happened
The American Heritage had docked about two hours before the collision to let its passengers off, with about 129 passengers and additional crew aboard. Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department, the Coast Guard and medical personnel responded, and some passengers were brought into the Port of New Orleans Administration Building for triage and assistance.
Officials say the tanker appeared to lose steering before it hit the riverboat. The riverboat then began to sink and toppled over while passengers were getting off, putting people into the water and triggering the rescue response.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- That the Atlantic Asphalt hit the docked American Heritage at about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, on the Port of New Orleans' account.
- That 32 people were taken to hospital, none with critical injuries, and everyone aboard was accounted for, on the mayor's figures.
- That the river is closed between mile markers 93 and 96, and the NTSB is sending a team to investigate.
What we don't know yet
- The confirmed cause of the collision — officials describe an apparent loss of steering, and the investigation has not reported.
- The nature of the 32 people's injuries — the mayor described them as unspecified.
- How long the river closure will last, and the state of the riverboat after it rolled over.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (6)
Why this label: The port's own spokesperson, named in the report; the passenger figure is the port's.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The mayor's own press-conference figures, which replace the conflicting early hospital counts reported before the press conference.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: Both officials' account, stated as theirs; the investigation that will determine the cause is still to report, so no fuller cause is stated as settled.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The Coast Guard's own spokesperson, quoted directly.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The company's own statement.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The NTSB's own announcement, reported in the live coverage.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why it matters
A passenger vessel carrying about 129 people rolled over at a city dock in daylight — that everyone aboard was accounted for, with no critical injuries reported, is the outcome officials called a miracle. The investigation will now decide how a tanker lost steering on one of the world's busiest commercial rivers.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
- Latest
Published in Checking state — the collision, the rescue and the officials' figures are confirmed, and checking continues. Basis: the Port of New Orleans, the mayor and the Coast Guard, reported by USA TODAY.