World · North America · 14 mins ago
Tanker strikes New Orleans river cruise boat, prompting rescue operation
A tanker struck the American Heritage river cruise boat on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday.
The boat had 129 passengers aboard and had docked about two hours earlier to begin letting them off.
The collision partly submerged the boat, and people in life jackets were pulled from the water as rescue teams worked at the scene.
The boat is operated by American Cruise Lines and was finishing an eight-day trip through Louisiana and Mississippi.
Accounts differed on the toll: some said officials had not released injury information, while another reported more than 30 people were hospitalized and no deaths; reports also gave different rescue totals.
The cause of the collision remains unknown, and it was not clear whether the tanker was carrying cargo.
A tanker struck the American Heritage river cruise boat on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, partially submerging the vessel and prompting a rescue operation.
About 129 passengers were aboard when the collision occurred at around 12:30 p.m. local time.
The cruise boat had docked roughly two hours earlier and passengers had begun disembarking.
Rescuers pulled multiple people from the water, while authorities had not confirmed the number of injuries or deaths.
The cause of the collision remains unknown, and officials have not confirmed whether the tanker was carrying cargo.
- Who
- The Atlantic Asphalt tanker and the American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, were involved. About 129 passengers were aboard the cruise boat.
- What
- The tanker struck the cruise boat, leaving it partly submerged and prompting a rescue operation.
- When
- Friday, November 13, 2026, at about 12:30 p.m. local time.
- Where
- On the Mississippi River in New Orleans, near the Port of New Orleans.
- Why
- Not stated. The cause of the collision remains unknown.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The American Heritage docked and began disembarking passengers.
The Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck the American Heritage on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
Rescuers pulled multiple people from the water and search-and-rescue operations continued.
- Cruise boat
- American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines
- Passengers aboard
- About 129
- Collision time
- About 12:30 p.m. local time on November 13, 2026
- Tanker
- Atlantic Asphalt; 160 metres long and sailing under the Marshall Islands flag
- Cruise boat capacity
- Up to 150 passengers, according to Al Jazeera and The Hindu; up to 180, according to The National
- Cause
- Not confirmed
23 sources
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What people are saying
Surreal, that’s what that was. Fifteen minutes from impact to where it rolled over.
Our immediate priority is the safety of all passengers, crew members and first responders. This remains an active and evolving incident.
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🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 The NOFD responded to a tanker and riverboat incident near Port of New Orleans HQ. A three-alarm response (23 units, 57 personnel) was dispatched to rescue passengers and crew, assisting with triage and transport. 📸 Retired District Chief Chris Mickal
"We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi." More than 30 people were injured after a tanker collided with a docked riverboat on the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans, officials said. More than 120 passengers and crew were on
WATCH: New video shows moment the Atlantic Asphalt tanker collides with American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage while the cruise ship is docked on the Mississippi River.