32 people were taken to hospital, but there were no fatalities after a collision between a tanker and a river cruise ship near the port of New Orleans, Louisiana. The incident occurred at around 12:30 local time on the Mississippi River, local authorities said.
The tanker Atlantic Asphalt struck the moored American Heritage, which had begun the process of disembarking its passengers. After the impact, the cruise ship began to list and later capsized. Some people ended up in the water, prompting a major rescue operation.
According to the Port of New Orleans authorities, there were around 129 passengers and crew members on board. The Associated Press reported a total of around 180 people on the vessel. Earlier media reports indicated that the ship could carry up to 150 passengers, but that figure refers to its capacity and not necessarily to the number of people on board at the time of the collision.
All passengers and crew members were accounted for. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said: “We do not have a single person unaccounted for, which is truly a miracle on the Mississippi.” According to local authorities, 32 people were hospitalized, none of them in critical condition.
US President Donald Trump thanked the US Coast Guard, law enforcement agencies and rescue teams for their actions. “It is incredible that there were no fatalities in this massive collision. 32 people are in hospital,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The exact cause of the incident has not yet been established. A Coast Guard captain said the tanker had likely lost control. The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation, while vessel traffic in the area was temporarily restricted. The investigative team is expected to arrive in New Orleans on November 14.
Sources: apnews.com, axios.com, wafb.com