Port of New Orleans sues tanker that hit river cruise for $1 million in repair costs

The Port of New Orleans is suing the owners and managers of the asphalt tanker that crashed into a cruise ship at dock on the Mississippi River yesterday. In a lawsuit reviewed by CBS News, the port said the tanker was responsible for the incident and that the collision caused more than $1 million in damage to port properties.

The tanker Atlantic Asphalt collided with the much smaller passenger ship American Heritage while docked at the port’s Thalia Street terminal Friday afternoon. There were approximately 129 passengers, as well as crew members, on board the cruise ship at the time of the collision, Port NOLA said Friday. All people on board both ships were accounted for and no deaths or serious injuries were reported, although the cruise ship was left on its side and largely submerged in water.

The complaint, filed Friday evening in federal court, names the tanker, the M/V Atlantic Asphalt, its owner Nave Shipping SA and its management company Thome Ship Management Pte, Ltd.

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to the lawsuit, and the port is seeking money to cover cleanup, inspections, repairs and other expenses.

The lawsuit asked that the tanker be seized and sold to pay for damages.

The lawsuit alleges that the tanker and the companies failed to “use all available means to avoid the risk” of colliding with the stationary riverboat, noting that a presumption of fault arises when a vessel strikes a stationary object.

The collision “occurred as a result of the negligence, gross negligence, fault or inattention of” the vessel and operating companies, according to the lawsuit.

Owner Nave Shipping and management company Thome Ship Management did not immediately respond to CBS News’ requests for comment on the lawsuit.

Thome released a statement Saturday morning regarding the incident, confirming that the Atlantic Asphalt crew is safe. It said the tanker had been separated from the riverboat and was stably anchored for damage assessment.

“OSM Thome is fully compliant with local authorities who are conducting necessary investigations,” the company said. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all parties and staff who responded to this incident with urgency and humanity.”

The lawsuit also states that other parties may be identified and added to the legal proceedings as the investigation into the incident continues.