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A tanker collided with a cruise ship on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, triggering a search and rescue operation, officials said.
American Cruise Lines said its ship, a riverboat called American Heritage, was docked when it was struck by the tanker Atlantic Asphalt.
The company said guests and crew were evacuated. The Coast Guard said it was working with local agencies to respond to the incident, which it said occurred at mile marker 96 on the Mississippi River.
"The river is closed to all vessel traffic between mile markers 93 and 96, while responders assess the situation and conduct response operations," the Coast Guard statement said. "This is a developing situation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
What the fuck. A tanker just hit a river cruise boat with 129 passengers on board and the boat can be seen capsizing into the Mississippi river. Rescue operations are now underway. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/DItfamNd1w
— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) November 13, 2026Photos and video shared online captured the moment the tanker hit the ship.
The ship, with passengers on board, then tilted to its side until it eventually lay completely sideways and partially submerged.
Photos and video also showed authorities responding to the scene and people being pulled out of the water.
The emergency preparedness campaign for New Orleans said on X that the ferry service across the river was suspended after the collision.
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Kelsey Vlamis is a senior reporter for Business Insider, where she covers business and tech news. She also writes business stories about travel, luxury, and culture. Previously, she covered the environment, outdoors, and indigenous issues.Her feature story "Disaster at 18,200 feet" received awards from the New York Press Club and the North American Travel Journalists Association, as well as honorable mention from the Society of American Travel Writers. She has also received an American Journalism Online Award for her coverage on missing and murdered Indigenous people in Wyoming.She's appeared on CBS, NPR, NBC, and other outlets to discuss her reporting. She previously worked on the world news desk at the BBC in London and received a master's in journalism from Northwestern University.She can be reached by email at [email protected] or via the encrypted-messaging app Signal at kelseyv.21.
