Cruise ship carrying 130 passengers is rammed by a tanker and sinks

A freighter collided with a passenger ship near the port of New Orleans. There were over 130 passengers on the river cruise ship at the time of the incident, CNN reported, citing information from the port authority.

According to port officials, the tanker Atlantic Asphalt collided with the American Cruise Lines cruise ship American Heritage around 12:30 p.m. for unknown reasons while it was anchored in the Mississippi River.

Footage from the scene of the accident showed how the much larger tanker “Atlantic Asphalt” rammed the ship, which was apparently docked at a pier. A rescue operation is underway, broadcaster WAFB reported, citing port authorities. In images from the broadcaster, passengers could be seen standing on the deck of the “American Heritage” while the overturned ship was already partly under the surface of the water.

People could also be seen in the water wearing life jackets and people on the railing as one side of the ship sank deeper into the water. Later photos show the cruise ship lying on its side and largely submerged in the water. It is not known whether anyone was injured in the incident.

Jeff Landry, Governor of the US state of Louisiana, announced on the X platform that he was on his way to New Orleans. “We are aware of the incident on the Mississippi River and are in close contact with local authorities and law enforcement.”