A ship collides with a cruise ship with 129 people on board in New Orleans and leaves it listing

A ship collided this Friday with a cruise ship carrying 129 people on the Mississippi River, off New Orleans (Louisiana, USA), with no casualties reported at the moment.

Local authorities reported that emergency crews "are responding to a vessel collision near the Port of New Orleans," but did not reveal any further details.

Port spokeswoman Kimberly Curth said the accident occurred when a cruise ship with up to 129 people on board was struck by a ship.

Several passengers of the river cruise, identified as the American Heritage, of the American Cruise Lines company, have already been rescued, according to the communication team of the mayor of New Orleans, Helena Moreno, to the local media WVUE.

The ship was docked in the port to unload its passengers when it was hit.

Images spread on social networks show the cruise ship flipped on its side and half-sunken after the collision, while several tugboats come to contain the vessel near one of the bridges that cross the Mississippi.