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Disasters

Tanker hits docked cruise ship in New Orleans, tipping it onto its side

Rescues continue on the Mississippi as the port says about 129 passengers were aboard, and officials have not confirmed the number of injuries or the cause.

32 news outlets reported this
Liberal11 outletsRescue, the passenger count and what caused itCenter12 outletsCoast Guard response and the investigation to comeConservative9 outletsRescue under way, officials responding
ABRAnews EditorialPublished 1 min read
Overview

A tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, struck the American Heritage, a paddlewheel river cruise ship run by American Cruise Lines, on Friday, Nov. 13. The ship was docked at the Port of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. The port said about 129 passengers, plus crew, were aboard.

The ship had docked earlier to begin letting passengers off. Video shows it tipping onto its side. The mayor's office said multiple people were rescued, and the Associated Press reported people in lifejackets being pulled from the river onto nearby ships.

Acadian Ambulance took eight people to hospitals. Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser told WWL Louisiana that initial estimates indicated 85 people were rescued. He said authorities believed everyone aboard was accounted for, though officials had not confirmed it, and that a text said it did not appear anyone had died.

Neither the injury count nor the cause has been confirmed, the port said. An emergency response source told the Guardian it was possible the tanker lost power, which was also unconfirmed. The Coast Guard closed a stretch of the river to vessel traffic.

A Coast Guard official said a Marine Board of Investigation will look into the cause and whether criminal activity is suspected. Gov. Jeff Landry said he was heading to New Orleans.

Key figures
  • Approximately 129 passengersaboard, plus crew, by the Port of New Orleans' countABC News
  • 85people rescued and treated at the port building, by Lt. Gov. Nungesser's initial estimateThe Independent
  • eight peopletaken to hospitals by Acadian AmbulanceThe Guardian
  • between mile markers 93 and 96river closed to vessel traffic by the Coast GuardABC News

Three sides of the story

11Liberal12Center9Conservative

32 news outlets reported this

Tap a color or swipe sideways to switch sides.

Liberal11 outlets

Rescue, the passenger count and what caused it

The Guardian builds its report on statements from Port of New Orleans press secretary Kimberly Curth. It adds that an emergency response source said the tanker possibly lost power, which was not confirmed. It cites marinetraffic.com showing the tanker drifting to its right after passing the Crescent City Connection bridge, and witness Jamie Holford calling it "Surreal."

Yahoo News describes bystander footage of the ship "slowly tipping onto its side" and adds a look back at a 1996 bulk carrier crash in New Orleans. ABC News puts the 129 passengers in its headline and quotes Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser: "I'm fearing it could be pretty bad." The Independent opens with more than a dozen people taken to hospitals and reports Nungesser telling WWL Louisiana that, going by the latest text he got, "it doesn't appear there's been any loss of life."

The Boston Globe runs the AP report, where witness Devon Flanagan says, "It was just chaos."

Center12 outlets

Coast Guard response and the investigation to come

Military Times leads with the Coast Guard response and puts "140 missing" in its headline. It quotes Capt. Timothy Balunis, the Coast Guard's chief of public affairs: "This is a developing situation." It reports that a Coast Guard official said a Marine Board of Investigation will determine the cause and whether criminal activity is suspected.

Newsweek's report rests on statements to the outlet from the cruise line, the port and the Coast Guard. It adds that vessel tracking shows the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker left Paulsboro Port in New Jersey on Oct. 26, and that it was not immediately clear who owned the tanker. Deutsche Welle calls the tanker a freighter and a cargo vessel and quotes local witness Devon Flanagan from the AP.

Euronews opens with the ship partly submerged and Mayor Helena Moreno's office saying multiple people were rescued. The Seattle Times runs the AP wire report.

Conservative9 outlets

Rescue under way, officials responding

Fox News says in its headline that the tanker "slams into" the docked cruiser. It quotes Secretary Markwayne Mullin: "We are throwing every asset we have to help rescue missing passengers." It also carries prayers from Reps. Troy Carter and Julia Letlow and weather details from a news release.

The Daily Caller embeds posts from X, one calling the footage "Terrifying," and quotes witness Jamie Holford: "I don't know if everybody got off of it." The New York Post describes "Harrowing footage," quotes port spokesperson Kimberly Curth, and says the cruise line's website lists room for 180 guests. The Center Square cites the port statement and WDSU's report of at least 12 people rescued.

It notes the port's directory lists the ship's capacity at 150. Just the News writes that the tanker "reportedly" collided with the riverboat, and says the boat was finishing an eight-day cruise.

What a side did not mention
  • Liberal outlets did not mentionA Coast Guard official said a Marine Board of Investigation will look into the cause and possible criminal activity Reported by Military Times
  • Conservative outlets did not mentionLt. Gov. Nungesser's text said it did not appear anyone had died, and he estimated 85 people rescued Reported by The Independent
Where outlets disagree
All sources: 40 articles from 32 outlets

Liberal (14)

Center (15)

Conservative (11)

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  5. Tanker hits docked cruise ship in New Orleans, tipping it onto its sideThis story
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