The Port of New Orleans is seeking more than $1 million in damages after an asphalt tanker struck a docked river cruise ship on the Mississippi River, and a federal judge has authorized the tanker’s seizure.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, names the Atlantic Asphalt tanker, its owner, Nave Shipping SA, and its management company, Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd.
The port alleges the collision caused more than $1 million in physical damage to its Thalia Street Terminal, where the American Heritage cruise ship was docked Friday afternoon.
The port is also seeking compensation for cleanup, repairs and potential business interruption and lost revenue.
First responders work the scene of the riverboat American Heritage after it capsized following a collision with the tanker Atlantic Asphalt on the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans on Friday. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The complaint accuses the tanker and the companies responsible for its operation of negligence, alleging they failed to take adequate precautions to avoid the collision.
Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter granted the port’s emergency request Friday, finding that circumstances warranted the vessel’s prompt arrest. The court issued a warrant authorizing the tanker’s seizure, although it was not immediately clear whether the warrant had been executed.
The port is also seeking the tanker’s potential sale to satisfy its financial claims. No sale has been ordered.
People watch from across the Mississippi River as a tugboat stabilizes the riverboat American Heritage after it capsized following a collision with the tanker Atlantic Asphalt near the Port of New Orleans. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The collision occurred around 12:30 p.m. Friday near the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans. The tanker appeared to lose steering control before striking the American Heritage, causing the cruise ship to capsize and partially sink.
Thirty-two people were taken to hospitals, but no fatalities or critical injuries were reported.
The tanker Atlantic Asphalt shows signs of damage after it collided with the riverboat American Heritage on the Mississippi River in New Orleans. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images / Getty Images)
In a statement Saturday, OSM Thome said the tanker was stable at anchor and that the company was cooperating with 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 requests for comment.
