Tanker collides with cruise ship in New Orleans
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A tanker has crashed into a cruise ship carrying 129 people in New Orleans.
Footage shows the cruise ship tipping over on to one side on the Mississippi River before sinking rapidly beneath the water. Rescue efforts are underway, local media said.
A separate clip posted to X shows the
moment the tanker seems to head straight into the ship, resulting in a loud boom.
The tanker collided with the American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage at 12.30pm local time on Friday, the Port of New Orleans press secretary said.
Pictures show people scrambling over railings as the ship lists. At least 14 people were rescued from the river, Billy Nungesser, the lieutenant governor, said.
Dozens of people have been taken to hospitals, local outlet WDSU reported. Their conditions are unknown.
Watch the moment a tanker struck a cruise ship in New Orleans. Rescues are underway.
📷: Kern Studios https://t.co/ZPspGtM0Yr pic.twitter.com/O1qGr8kImf
— wdsu (@wdsu) November 13, 2026
“Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved. We will share more information as it becomes available,” the company said in a statement.
New Orleans police, firefighters and the US Coast Guard are all at the scene.
Three miles of the river are closed to traffic “while responders assess the situation and conduct response operations”, a US Coast Guard spokesman said.
Kimberly Curth, a Port of New Orleans spokesman, said: “Our immediate priority is the safety of all passengers, crew members and first responders.
“This remains an active and evolving incident. The number of injuries and the cause of the allision have not yet been confirmed.”
The river cruiser has a 150-person capacity and was built in 2015, according to American Cruise Lines’ website.
In a post on X, Jeff Landry, the Louisiana governor, said: “We are aware of the incident on the Mississippi and we are in close contact with local officials and law enforcement. I am headed to New Orleans now.”
A video showed crew members of a tugboat pulling people clinging on to flotation rings out of the river. Others in life jackets were seen waiting to be rescued.
Helena Moreno, the city’s mayor, confirmed on Friday afternoon that “multiple individuals have been rescued”.
The City of New Orleans confirmed that the situation remained “an active and developing situation”.
The US Coast Guard said the stretch of the river where the crash occurred “is closed to all vessel traffic” while rescue efforts continue.
More to come
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