New Orleans port officials filed a lawsuit against the owner and operator of the tanker that crashed into a docked cruise ship in the Mississippi River on Friday.
The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans is seeking at least $1 million in damages from people connected to the tanker, which is called Atlantic Asphalt. The lawsuit also names the tanker's owner, Nave Shipping SA and its management company Thome Ship Management as defendants.
The lawsuit states that at 12:30 p.m. Friday, the Atlantic Asphalt tanker crashed into the American Heritage river cruise paddleboat which was docked at the Thalia Street terminal for disembarkment of passengers.
There were almost 200 people on board the American Heritage at the time of the crash, which left the ship on its side and partially submerged. All passengers and crew survived, including more than 100 who were rescued from the river, leading New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno to dub the incident "the miracle on the Mississippi."
There were 32 people brought to the hospital, none with critical injuries.
The port commissioners said as a result of the collision, the Thalia Street terminal had significant damage.
"The extent of said damage remains under investigation, but physical damage is currently estimated to exceed [$1 million], with additional substantial direct, indirect and consequential damages anticipated," the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit also states that the port expects to incur additional costs, including clean-up, surveys, repair, replacement and salvage costs.
On Friday, port officials requested the tanker be seized and sold to cover costs of the damage. A federal judge approved the seizure request.
Officials claimed that the collision occurred "as a result of the negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness" by Atlantic Asphalt, Nave Shipping SA and Thome Ship Management.
Clearing the Mississippi
As of Saturday, eight people remained in the hospital, two in serious condition.
Mayor Moreno said Saturday that the Atlantic Asphalt had been towed away from the site, but noted it could take weeks to fully remove the American Heritage.
Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said that operations were now focused on fully reopening the river and safe removal of hazardous material on board the American Heritage. Burnham said it is estimated there are 160,000 gallons of fuel on board the ship.
"We're going to have divers in the water so they can do a full assessment on what's the right path to be able to remove it," Burnham said. "We also have teams that have been deployed throughout the entire area, the river system to monitor the area for any pollution."
Burnham said there are restrictions in place for boat traffic along the Mississippi River.
The exact cause of the crash is unknown, though Burnham said the tanker appeared to have an issue with steering. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
John DeLeeuw, board member with the NTSB, said during a Saturday briefing that the tanker's voyage data recorder was recovered.
"The voyage data recorder essentially is going to provide the data," DeLeeuw said. "It's like a flight data recorder on an aircraft. We can look at speeds and all kinds of information. It's essentially covering speed all kinds of maneuverings that was done on the ship."
A preliminary report by the NTSB is expected within 30 days, with the final report on probable causes and safety recommendations coming in 18 to 24 months.
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