New Orleans port sues tanker owners over cruise ship collision for $1m

The Port of New Orleans is suing the owners and managers of a tanker that crashed into a cruise ship docked in New Orleans 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 (£756k) 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.