Source : Perth Now news
A river cruise paddleboat in New Orleans with 129 passengers aboard has been hit by a tanker, partially submerging the boat.
Authorities did not immediately release whether there were injuries or deaths.
Video from the scene showed boats and rescuers scrambling to get people in life jackets out of the Mississippi River
Video from the scene showed the much larger Atlantic Asphalt tanker hit the paddlewheel cruise boat while it appeared to be docked as metal and glass crashed and crunched.
The boat quickly started to list to its side as passengers gathered near railings.
“Surreal — that’s what that was,” witness Jamie Holford told WDSU-TV. “Fifteen minutes from impact to where it rolled over.”
Luggage and other debris could be seen floating in the river. Passengers were being taken to a port of New Orleans building next door to the dock.
The five storey-high American Heritage cruise ship was built in 2015 and operated by American Cruise Lines. It was finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi.
The Atlantic Asphalt tanker specialises in carrying large quantities of asphalt and bitumen.
Ships carrying asphalt and bitumen are often heated well above 120 degrees Celsius to prevent the asphalt from solidifying on the ship, according to the maritime periodical Marine Insights. It is not immediately clear whether the ship was carrying any materials when the crash occurred.
The 160-metre long vessel had a final destination in New Orleans, according to MarineTraffic, and was sailing under a flag for the Marshall Islands.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he was on his way to New Orleans. “We are aware of the incident on the Mississippi and we are in close contact with local officials and law enforcement,” he wrote on X.
