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New Orleans boat crash: Officials provide update
Local and state officials in Louisiana provide an update on Saturday regarding the collision between the tanker and a riverboat.
Roughly 100 people were pulled from the Mississippi River after a tanker struck a docked cruise ship in New Orleans on Friday, officials revealed Saturday, as the U.S. Coast Guard prepares for a potentially weeks-long operation to remove the capsized vessel.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said 191 passengers and crew members were aboard the American Heritage when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck the vessel near the Port of New Orleans.
Everyone survived, though eight people remained hospitalized Saturday, including two in serious condition. The other six patients were stable, officials said.
Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said crews were preparing to remove 16,000 gallons of fuel from the American Heritage before salvage operations begin. Divers were expected to assess the vessel, while pollution response teams monitored the river for potential leaks.
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Burnham said crews had not observed any product in the river requiring removal but warned that hazardous materials could potentially escape during the operation.
"As the mayor said, we're talking weeks, we're not talking days, we're talking weeks. So we're going to do this safely, and we're going to make sure that it's done right," Burnham said.
Moreno also revealed that the American Heritage's captain was injured but remained aboard until passengers and crew were accounted for, becoming the last person to leave the vessel.
"Every moment of the critical time [Friday], he did not want to leave his ship," Moreno said.
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Cruise ship capsizes after collision
Video filmed by Randy Christie shows what happened in the moments after the Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage in New Orleans.
The captain initially refused medical treatment until he knew where everyone was, according to the mayor.
Port of New Orleans Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montro said responders evacuated more than 80 people before the vessel overturned, while roughly 100 people ended up in the river.
Montro said she estimated the American Heritage capsized within 30 to 45 minutes of the collision, though the exact timeline remains under investigation.
Officials credited life jackets and the rapid response of emergency crews and nearby vessels with preventing fatalities.
Investigators are examining a possible steering issue involving the tanker, though the exact cause of the collision remains unknown.
"I can say though I do not have any indication that this is terrorism related in any way, shape or form, but again, the investigators will continue to keep working through that," Burnham said.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed Saturday that investigators recovered the Atlantic Asphalt's voyage data recorder, which captures information including the vessel's speed, course and audio from its bridge.
NTSB board member John DeLeeuw said during a news conference Saturday that investigators will also examine the tanker's maintenance records and mechanical history as they work to determine what caused the collision.
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He cautioned that the agency remains in the early stages of gathering evidence and has not reached any conclusions.
DeLeeuw and a team of NTSB investigators began arriving Saturday after travel disruptions delayed its response.
DeLeeuw said 16 investigators were on scene and preparing to interview crew members and others involved.
The agency said it expects to release a preliminary report in about 30 days, with a final report identifying probable causes and potential safety recommendations expected in 18 to 24 months.
The collision occurred around 12:30 p.m. local time Friday, when the tanker struck the American Heritage, which had been docked for approximately two hours.
The vessel began taking on water before capsizing.
The Atlantic Asphalt has since been moved from the collision site, while the Coast Guard has partially reopened the river to two-way traffic. A 500-foot safety zone remains in place around the wreck.
American Cruise Lines, which operates American Heritage, is coordinating with local officials to assist displaced passengers as the investigation and recovery efforts continue.
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