The key facts

  • The Port of New Orleans has filed a lawsuit against Nave Shipping SA and Thome Ship Management for more than $1 million
  • 32 people with non-serious injuries were hospitalized; all passengers were rescued
  • The cause of the collision remains under investigation; the Coast Guard cites a possible loss of control

Port's lawsuit against the tanker's owners

The Port of New Orleans has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against the owner and manager of the tanker M/V Atlantic Asphalt, which on Friday afternoon rammed the American Heritage, a cruise paddlewheel vessel moored at a dock on the Mississippi River. The defendants named are the shipowner Nave Shipping SA and the management company Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd. The port is seeking more than $1 million for cleanup, inspections, repairs and other expenses, and is asking that the tanker be arrested and sold to cover the damage, BBC News reports. According to the lawsuit, the collision was caused by the 'negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness' of the vessel and the companies, which failed to 'use all available means to avoid the risk' of collision.

Consequences of the collision

After the impact, the American Heritage listed to one side and partially submerged. According to port authorities, there were about 129 passengers on board, not counting the crew; the vessel was completing an eight-day cruise through Louisiana and Mississippi. Tugboats, police and other services took part in the rescue operation, and traffic on the Mississippi was suspended while it was underway. 32 people with non-serious injuries were taken to hospital, and no one is missing — officials called the outcome 'a miracle on the Mississippi.' According to court documents, the port terminal sustained significant damage.

Cause of the accident and the companies' response

The exact cause of the collision has not yet been established: the investigation is ongoing. Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham said that, according to preliminary data, 'there was some kind of loss of control.' Thome Ship Management said on Saturday that the Atlantic Asphalt crew is safe and pledged full cooperation with the investigating authorities. BBC notes that Nave Shipping is a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation; requests for comment have been sent to the corporation and the manager. Sources have not yet reported the defendants' position on the lawsuit.

Cruise ship lies on its sideImage source, Getty Images