New Orleans port sues tanker owners after Mississippi River cruise ship collision

The Port of New Orleans has sued the owners and managers of the tanker Atlantic Asphalt over a collision with the cruise ship American Heritage on Friday. Court documents put the damage at more than $1 million and say the port terminal was significantly damaged.

The collision left 32 people hospitalised with non-critical injuries, and no one was unaccounted for after more than 100 passengers were rescued from the Mississippi River. The paddlewheel ship was left on its side and partly submerged.

The federal lawsuit asks for the tanker to be seized and sold to pay for repairs and cleanup. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.