At least 32 people were rushed to hospital after a river cruise ship capsized when it was struck by an oil tanker believed to have lost control on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
The incident happened at around 12.30pm local time on Friday near the Port of New Orleans, involving the American Heritage cruise ship operated by American Cruise Lines and the tanker Atlantic Asphalt.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said the cruise ship, which was carrying 129 passengers and crew members, had docked about two hours earlier and was preparing to disembark passengers when the collision occurred.
She said the vessel began taking in water after being hit, causing it to tilt before eventually capsizing onto one side.
“While passengers were disembarking, the cruise ship began taking on water after being struck, then tilted and eventually overturned to one side, causing several people to fall into the river,” she said during a press conference.
Despite the frightening incident, authorities confirmed that all 129 passengers and crew members had been accounted for and rescued, with no fatalities reported.
A total of 87 people had managed to disembark before the vessel fully capsized, while at least 14 people wearing life jackets were pulled from the river by rescue teams and nearby boats.
Moreno said all 32 people taken to local hospitals had avoided critical injuries.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry described the successful rescue of everyone involved in the incident, despite the Mississippi River’s strong currents, as a “miracle on the Mississippi”.
