INTERNATIONAL DESK — Investigations are ongoing to find out why the tanker named Atlantic Asphalt "lost control" and collided with an anchored river cruise ship in New Orleans on Friday, resulting in the overturning of the cruise ship and passengers being dumped into the Mississippi River. According to New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, the tanker "lost control" before it crashed into the American Heritage operated by American Cruise Lines around 12:30 p.m.
According to US Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham, the ship seemed to experience "some kind of loss of steering"; however, she emphasised that "the exact reason is not known yet." At that time, a river pilot was controlling the tanker. The river cruise ship had been docked for about two hours before the crash and was unloading the passengers. The cruise ship started sinking and overturned, dumping the passengers into the cold waters.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry stated there was an “active investigation” going on since the government wanted to know “exactly what happened.” The NTSB is sending a team; however, the FAA nationwide ground stop could affect when the team can arrive. The Coast Guard is also working on the case. The Crescent City Connection bridge has not been hit, although it was examined.