On a Friday afternoon near the Crescent City Connection bridge, a loaded river's ordinary rhythm broke: an asphalt tanker, seemingly unable to hold its course, drifted into a cruise ship resting at its mooring, and the ship rolled over and partly sank. It is the kind of accident that reminds a city how much of its life depends on the steady hands and reliable machinery that move goods and people along its waters. In response, the Port of New Orleans turned to a federal court, asking that the tanker be held to answer for the damage to its terminal and the losses that may follow, while the quest
New Orleans Port Sues Tanker Owner for Over $1M After Collision Sank Docked Cruise Ship
Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals after the cruise ship capsized and partially sank, though no fatalities or critical injuries were reported.
The cruise ship capsized and partially sank.
Mark
Why did the port move so fast, filing the same day as the collision?
Mimi
The tanker is a vessel that can move. By getting an emergency arrest warrant on Friday, the port is trying to keep something in reach to back its claims.
Luke
Worth saying the judge found the circumstances warranted arrest. That is not a finding that the tanker's owners were at fault.
Mark
What is the port actually claiming?
Mimi
More than $1 million in physical damage to the Thalia Street Terminal, plus cleanup, repairs, and possible business interruption and lost revenue.
Luke
The $1 million figure is the port's own allegation. Nothing in the reporting independently confirms it.
Mark
And the cause?
Mimi
The tanker appeared to lose steering control before the collision. The complaint alleges negligence, saying they failed to take adequate precautions.
Luke
Appeared is the key word. The cause is under investigation, and the Coast Guard hasn't commented.
Mark
Is the ship actually seized?
Mimi
Unknown. The warrant was issued, but it wasn't clear whether it was executed. OSM Thome said the tanker was stable at anchor and that it was cooperating.
Der Puls
- A loaded asphalt tanker lost steering on the Mississippi near the Crescent City Connection bridge and slammed into a docked cruise ship.
- The American Heritage capsized and partially sank, sending 32 people to hospitals in a scene of sudden chaos on the riverfront.
- The Port of New Orleans moved the same day, asking a federal judge to hold the tanker and its operators accountable for more than $1 million in damage.
- A federal judge granted an emergency arrest warrant, but whether it has been carried out and whether the tanker will be sold remain open.
- The tanker's manager says the vessel is stable at anchor and that the company is cooperating, while the Coast Guard's findings on the steering failure are still pending.
On a Friday afternoon near the Crescent City Connection bridge, a loaded river's ordinary rhythm broke: an asphalt tanker, seemingly unable to hold its course, drifted into a cruise ship resting at its mooring, and the ship rolled over and partly sank. It is the kind of accident that reminds a city how much of its life depends on the steady hands and reliable machinery that move goods and people along its waters. In response, the Port of New Orleans turned to a federal court, asking that the tanker be held to answer for the damage to its terminal and the losses that may follow, while the question of why the vessel lost steering remains for investigators to answer.
Shortly before 12:30 on Friday afternoon, near the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans, an asphalt tanker appeared to lose control of its steering on the Mississippi River. It struck the American Heritage, a river cruise ship tied up at the dock, and the cruise ship capsized and partially sank. Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals. No deaths or critical injuries were reported, though the scale of the moment was felt by everyone on the water and the shore.
The same day, the Port of New Orleans went to federal court. Its lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana, names the tanker Atlantic Asphalt, its owner Nave Shipping SA, and its management company, Thome Ship Management. The port says the collision caused more than $1 million in physical damage to its Thalia Street Terminal, where the cruise ship had been docked, and it seeks compensation for cleanup, repairs, and lost business. The complaint accuses the companies of negligence, alleging they did not take adequate precautions to avoid the crash.
Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter granted the port's emergency request that Friday, finding that the circumstances justified the tanker's prompt arrest, and a warrant authorizing its seizure was issued. It was not immediately clear whether the warrant had been carried out. The port also wants the tanker potentially sold to cover its claims, but no sale has been ordered.
In a statement on Saturday, the tanker's manager said the vessel was stable at anchor and that it was cooperating with the investigation. Several parties did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Three questions now hang over the river: whether the warrant is carried out, whether the tanker is sold, and what investigators conclude about why the vessel lost steering.
Around 12:30 on Friday afternoon, near the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans, an asphalt tanker appeared to lose steering control on the Mississippi River and struck the American Heritage, a river cruise ship tied up at the dock. The cruise ship capsized and partially sank.
Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals. No fatalities or critical injuries were reported.
The same day, the Port of New Orleans went to federal court. Its lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and obtained by FOX Business, names the tanker Atlantic Asphalt, its owner Nave Shipping SA, and its management company, Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd.
The port says the collision did more than $1 million in physical damage to its Thalia Street Terminal, where the American Heritage had been docked. It is also seeking compensation for cleanup, repairs, and potential business interruption and lost revenue.
The complaint accuses the tanker and the companies responsible for operating it of negligence. It alleges they failed to take adequate precautions to avoid the collision.
Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter granted the port's emergency request on Friday. She found that circumstances warranted the vessel's prompt arrest, and the court issued a warrant authorizing the tanker's seizure. It was not immediately clear whether the warrant had been executed. The port also wants the tanker potentially sold to satisfy its financial claims, but no sale has been ordered.
In a statement on Saturday, OSM Thome said the tanker was stable at anchor and that the company was cooperating with the authorities investigating the collision.
Representatives for the Port of New Orleans, OSM Thome, American Cruise Lines and the U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to FOX Business' requests for comment.
Three things to watch: whether the seizure warrant is carried out, whether a judge orders the tanker sold, and what investigators conclude about why the vessel appeared to lose steering.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The tanker was stable at anchor, and the company was cooperating with authorities investigating the collision.— OSM Thome, in a Saturday statement (paraphrased)
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