Oil Tanker Hits Cruise Ship Carrying 129 Passengers In New Orleans. Rescue Operation Underway

An oil tanker struck a river cruise ship carrying 129 passengers in New Orleans on Friday, leaving the vessel partially submerged in the Mississippi River and triggering an emergency rescue operation as people were seen wearing life jackets in the water.

The tanker, identified as Atlantic Asphalt, collided with American Cruise Lines' American Heritage at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time near the Port of New Orleans. The passenger vessel had docked about two hours earlier and was preparing to disembark passengers when it was struck.

Videos of the collision showed the much larger tanker hitting the stationary cruise ship, which began tilting toward the water. Passengers could be seen holding onto railings as the vessel listed, while others wearing life jackets were spotted in the river.

According to the Associated Press, the American Heritage was partially submerged following the collision, prompting a response involving the U.S. Coast Guard, local police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel.

The Port of New Orleans said approximately 129 passengers were aboard the vessel, along with crew members, at the time of the accident.

Rescue crews began bringing people ashore, with evacuated passengers directed to the Port of New Orleans Administration Building for assistance and medical assessment.

New Orleans Emergency Medical Services Lt. Stephanie C. Norwood confirmed that multiple agencies were responding to the incident as rescue operations continued.

The number of injuries or possible fatalities had not been confirmed in the initial reports. Authorities were also working to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.

American Cruise Lines said passengers and crew had been evacuated and that it was cooperating with the Coast Guard and local authorities.

The collision occurred near the Crescent City Connection bridges, a heavily used section of the Mississippi River where commercial vessels, barges and passenger boats regularly operate.

The Coast Guard closed river traffic between mile markers 93 and 96 while emergency crews worked at the scene, temporarily disrupting vessel movements along the busy shipping corridor.

Images and videos circulating online showed the American Heritage leaning heavily to one side, with much of its lower structure underwater. Smaller rescue vessels could be seen approaching the damaged ship.

The American Heritage is a paddlewheel river cruise vessel operated by American Cruise Lines, which offers passenger voyages along the Mississippi River and other U.S. waterways.

The Atlantic Asphalt is an asphalt tanker sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, according to vessel-tracking service MarineTraffic.

MarineTraffic reported that the American Heritage had arrived in New Orleans from Natchez, Mississippi, earlier Friday. Its tracking data recorded the two vessels in close proximity at approximately 12:29 p.m. local time, consistent with the reported collision.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he was aware of the incident and was traveling to New Orleans while remaining in contact with local authorities.

City officials urged residents to avoid the area to allow emergency vehicles and rescue personnel to operate without obstruction.

The Port of New Orleans described the situation as an active emergency and said its immediate priority was the safety of passengers, crew members and first responders.

Investigators had not established the cause of the collision, and officials had not confirmed whether a mechanical problem, navigational error or other factor contributed to the accident.