On a Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a river of ordinary routines was interrupted when a loaded tanker struck the American Heritage, a paddlewheel cruise ship tied up beside the Mississippi near the Port's administration building. The vessel, carrying 129 passengers and its crew, began to list and settle into the current while people in life jackets and others clinging to its railing waited for help. Such moments remind us how quickly a place built for leisure and arrival can become a scene of urgency, and how much depends on the strangers who answer the call. As of the latest reports, rescue
Rescue Underway in New Orleans After Tanker Strikes Docked Riverboat Carrying 129 Passengers
Passengers and crew were in the water or on the listing vessel as rescuers worked to account for all 129 passengers and crew aboard.
People in life jackets could be seen in the water or along the railing
Mark
Start with the basics. What do we actually know?
Mimi
A tanker hit the American Heritage, a docked paddlewheel ship, around 12:30 p.m. Friday. The ship went partly underwater, and 129 passengers plus crew were aboard.
Mark
The ship was docked. Why does that matter?
Mimi
It had arrived about two hours earlier and was preparing to let passengers off. People were gathering to leave, not underway on the river.
Luke
Do we know how many people were hurt?
Mimi
No. Multiple people had been rescued by about 2:10 p.m., but the number wasn't given, and responders were still accounting for everyone.
Luke
And the cause?
Mimi
Unknown. The reporting says the tanker struck the ship, but nothing about why. I'd treat anything beyond that as speculation.
Mark
What does the video show?
Mimi
The tanker striking the ship, then the vessel listing and sinking further. People in life jackets were in the water or along the railing.
Mark
Why does the location raise the stakes?
Mimi
It's a busy tourist stretch by the Convention Center, with hotels, restaurants, a mall and the aquarium nearby. The last comparable accident there was in 1996, when a cargo ship hit Riverwalk Marketplace and 66 people were injured.
Luke
Careful with that comparison, though. The source says this "could" be the most serious since then. That's a hedge, not a finding, especially with the toll unknown.
Mimi
Agreed. It's context, not a ranking.
Der Puls
- A 12:30 p.m. impact sent a docked cruise ship tilting toward the river with 129 passengers aboard.
- Life jackets bobbed in the brown water while others crowded the railing, waiting for rescue.
- Rescue crews and the mayor's team worked to pull people out and account for every person on board.
- The Governor was heading to New Orleans as officials worked to confirm casualties and the cause of the collision.
On a Friday afternoon in New Orleans, a river of ordinary routines was interrupted when a loaded tanker struck the American Heritage, a paddlewheel cruise ship tied up beside the Mississippi near the Port's administration building. The vessel, carrying 129 passengers and its crew, began to list and settle into the current while people in life jackets and others clinging to its railing waited for help. Such moments remind us how quickly a place built for leisure and arrival can become a scene of urgency, and how much depends on the strangers who answer the call. As of the latest reports, rescuers were pulling people to safety and still counting the names of everyone aboard.
Shortly before 12:30 p.m. on Friday, a tanker slammed into the American Heritage, a paddlewheel cruise ship that had docked along the Mississippi outside the Port of New Orleans Administration Building. The ship had arrived about two hours earlier and was preparing to let its passengers disembark. Instead, it began to list and sink deeper into the river.
Video from the scene showed people in life jackets in the water, while others gathered at the rail, waiting. By about 2:10 p.m., the mayor's office reported that several people had been rescued, but responders were still working to account for all 129 passengers and the crew.
The collision took place on a busy stretch of riverfront near the Convention Center, a place usually filled with tourists, hotels and restaurants. Officials had not yet confirmed injuries, missing persons or the cause. Governor Jeff Landry was on his way to the scene, and city officials urged the public to keep clear so that responders could do their work.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, a tanker struck a docked paddlewheel cruise ship on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, leaving the vessel partly underwater. Rescue crews were still working to account for everyone aboard when the first reports were filed.
The ship was the American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines. According to port officials, it was tied up along the riverfront outside the Port of New Orleans Administration Building when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker hit it. The cruise ship had reached the dock about two hours earlier and was preparing to let passengers disembark. The Port of New Orleans said 129 passengers were aboard, in addition to crew members. WVUE reported that figure.
Video from the scene shows the much larger tanker striking the docked paddlewheeler. As the ship began to list and sink deeper into the river, people in life jackets could be seen in the water, while others gathered along the ship's railing.
By about 2:10 p.m., the mayor's communications team said multiple people had been rescued. Search-and-rescue efforts continued as responders tried to account for all aboard. Passengers were being taken into the Port of New Orleans Administration Building, where port officials said they could receive assistance. Shortly after 2:30 p.m., city officials sent an alert: "Emergency crews are responding to a vessel collision near the Port of New Orleans. Avoid the area and allow responders to work. Updates to follow."
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he was aware of the incident and, as of 2 p.m., was heading to New Orleans.
The collision happened on a busy stretch of riverfront near the city's Convention Center, between the Central Business District and the Warehouse District. The area draws many tourists and is surrounded by hotels, restaurants and shops. Nearby are a shopping mall, a riverfront park and the Audubon Aquarium.
The incident could be the most serious accident along this part of the Mississippi since 1996, when a cargo ship collided with the Riverwalk Marketplace shopping mall and injured 66 people.
The story is still developing. The number of injured or missing, and the cause of the collision, had not been confirmed. Officials are expected to release more information as rescuers finish accounting for everyone on board.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Emergency crews are responding to a vessel collision near the Port of New Orleans. Avoid the area and allow responders to work. Updates to follow.— New Orleans city officials, alert shortly after 2:30 p.m.
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Das Original lesen bei The Independent ↗