No Indians onboard in carrier involved in Mississippi mishap

The bitumen carrier, Atlantic Asphalt, that rammed into riverboat American Heritage in New Orleans does not have Indian crew onboard. The tanker that apparently lost its steering slammed into a docked river cruise boat with about 180 people aboard on Friday (November 13, 2026).

All aboard survived after the crash prompted a massive rescue operation for passengers and crew who plunged into the Mississippi River. As per government records, on Atlantic Asphalt that can carry some 17,500 tonnes of bitumen used in laying roads, there were no Indians onboard, sources said.

The ship registered in Marshall Islands and owned by a company formally registered in Liberia is manned by a Singapore ship management company which does employ Indian seafarers on its ships. It is a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, a sprawling Chinese state-owned conglomerate, according to the website MarineTraffic.

The Chinese company overseeing the asphalt tanker in 2022 accounted for nearly a quarter of the global commercial shipbuilding market, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. It was also the largest military shipbuilder in the world at the time.

Onsite videos show that the ship seemed to have lost control of its steering, if not power, that led to the accident. The boat took in water, tilted and sank along the jetty. Passengers who were thrown into the water were seen wearing lifejackets that would have helped save lives.

In March 2024, container ship Dali, with mostly Indian crew, rammed into a bridge in Baltimore that led to loss of six lives and property damaged leading to the largest marine insurance settlements running to billions of dollars.

Dali lost power as well as steering leading to the accident. Ever Given that blocked Suez Canal traffic for nearly six days in 2021 had 25 Indian crew onboard.