Oil tanker collides with cruise ship on Mississippi River in New Orleans, capsizing it

An oil tanker collided with the cruise ship American Heritage on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, causing the vessel to capsize and partially submerge. About 130 passengers and crew were aboard; rescue operations are underway.

In New Orleans, on the Mississippi River, an oil tanker collided with the anchored tourist vessel American Heritage. The impact caused the ship to capsize and partially sink. About 130 passengers and crew members were on board. Dramatic footage from the scene, near the French Quarter, shows passengers in life jackets in the water and trying to escape the listing vessel. American Cruise Lines reported an evacuation, but it is unclear whether everyone has been rescued and what their condition is. Large forces of the Coast Guard and rescue services are working at the scene; the circumstances of the collision are under investigation.