New Orleans port files $1m lawsuit over 'miracle on the Mississippi' tanker collision

The Port of New Orleans is suing the owners and managers of a tanker that crashed into a cruise ship docked there on Friday.

The port is claiming the tanker is at fault for the collision that saw more than 100 passengers being rescued from the Mississippi River and caused more than $1m (£756,000) in damage, according to court documents.

The collision left 32 people from the stricken riverboat in hospital with non-critical injuries, but no-one was unaccounted for. Officials hailed it as a "miracle on the Mississippi".

The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, but US Coast Guard Capt Melanie Burnham said: "There seems to be some type of a loss of steering."

The paddlewheel cruise ship, American Heritage, was left on its side and partially submerged in the Mississippi River after it was hit by the cargo vessel Atlantic Asphalt on Friday afternoon.

The court documents added that the port terminal had been "significantly damaged" in the incident.

The tanker, the M/V Atlantic Asphalt, its owner Nave Shipping SA and its management company Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd are all named in the lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Officials are still investigating the full extent of the damage from the crash, as well as the cause, but the lawsuit says the port is looking for money to cover clean-up, inspections, repairs and other expenses.

The lawsuit requests that the tanker be seized and sold to pay for the damage. It also alleges that the collision "occurred as a result of the negligence, gross negligence, fault or carelessness" of the ship and operating companies.

It alleges that the tanker and companies failed "to use all available means to avoid the risk" of colliding with the riverboat.

Nave Shipping is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. BBC has contacted the latter for comment.

Thome Ship Management has also been contacted. The firm said in a statement on Saturday that the crew of the Atlantic Asphalt were safe and accounted for.

"OSM Thome is fully complying with the local authorities as they carry out the necessary investigations," it said.

There were about 129 passengers, in addition to crew members, on the American Heritage at the time of the collision, according to the port authority.

Tugboat operators, police and other rescuers rushed to help while officials shut down traffic in the Mississippi River during the rescue effort.

The American Heritage had been finishing an eight-day cruise calling at destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi along the waterway at the time.

If you were in the area at the time of the incident, please get in touch.

'Miracle on Mississippi' - All passengers rescued after New Orleans cruise ship collision