CASINO, TOW COLLIDE ON MISSISSIPPI

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A newly built casino boat had to be intentionally grounded after it collided with a towboat on the Mississippi River north of Caruthersville early Monday and began taking on water.

No one was seriously hurt, but the 313-foot-long casino boat was badly damaged. Seventy-two people aboard the boat were evacuated to shore, the Coast Guard said.

Pemiscot County Sheriff Tommy Greenwell said those rescued were transported to the Casino Aztar's on-shore Expo Center with the help of the towboat Mark Allen. The Casino Aztar is a casino boat that is permanently docked at Caruthersville.

The accident happened about 1:15 a.m. as the casino vessel, Miss Belterra, was headed upstream. The vessel collided with the Elizabeth Ann towboat, which was pushing two barges downstream, the Coast Guard said.

The boat took on water quickly following the accident but managed to stay afloat long enough for emergency workers and volunteers from Pemiscot County, Mo., and Lake County, Tenn., to rescue the passengers.

The crew then ran the boat aground close to shore. The site is not far from the Casino Aztar.

"We could have had 100 bodies floating in the river," said Jim Brimhall, who coordinated the rescue for the Pemiscot County Emergency Response Team. "That boat could have been like the Titanic."

Three people suffered minor injuries. They were treated at the Pemiscot Memorial Hospital in Hayti.

Lt. James Collins of the Coast Guard office in Memphis, Tenn., said Monday afternoon that the cause of the accident was still under investigation. The investigation could take at least a week, he said.

Both the pilot of the casino boat and the towboat pilot will be tested for drugs and alcohol, a routine procedure in the case of accidents, the Coast Guard said.

Greenwell said visibility was poor. "There was a lot of fog on the river at that time of the morning."

The towboat was pushing two cement-laden barges when it collided with the side of the casino boat, ripping a 70-foot-long, 10-foot-wide hole in the boat.

The lead barge suffered minor flooding to its front compartment, the Coast Guard said.

Missouri Barge Lines in Cape Girardeau owns the towboat. A company spokeswoman refused to comment.

Following the accident, the captain of the Belterra issued a mayday call.

The casino boat was built recently in Mobile, Ala.

Collins said the Belterra was carrying a crew of 19 as well as 72 shipyard workers and other contract employees who were putting the finishing touches on the vessel as it made its way upstream. The vessel was bound for Vevay, Ind., a town of 1,400 residents about 50 miles from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Coast Guard officials said the crew remained on the boat after intentionally grounding it.

The casino boat is owned by Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., which is preparing to open the Belterra Casino Resort near Vevay. The resort currently operates out of a hotel in Vevay.

Resort officials said the damage to the boat is being assessed. The accident will delay the opening of the casino and resort, which had been scheduled to open Aug. 21 near the Markland Dam on the Ohio River.

The casino and resort complex is expected to employ 1,500 people.

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press.