Cruise ship collides with cargo vessel in New Orleans: all passengers rescued

A cargo vessel, Atlantic Asphalt, collided with the river cruise ship American Heritage on the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States on Friday. The passenger vessel, operated by American Cruise Lines, ended up on its side and began sinking. Around 130 people were rescued and nobody is unaccounted for, which officials called a "miracle on the Mississippi".

Port of New Orleans Chief Melanie Montroll said calls about the crash came in around 13:30 Eastern time (18:30 GMT), as people tried to help passengers get off the boat while it took on water. According to the port, about 129 passengers were aboard, in addition to crew. Passengers began disembarking as the vessel started to list before tipping over, Mayor Helena Moreno said. Tugboat operators, police and other rescuers rushed in, and officials closed the Mississippi River to traffic for the search.

Thirty-two people from the riverboat were taken to hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening.

Possible cause

The exact cause is under investigation. US Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham said there seemed to be "some type of a loss of steering". Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry pledged to look into what happened and noted that ships have operated safely on the Mississippi for years.

Mayor Moreno gave all the credit for the rescue to first responders, who "literally jumped right in to help". President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that it was an "incredible job". Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the Coast Guard also supported local rescue operations.

Witness account

Witness Jamie Holford told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that he saw the cruise ship hit the dock after the collision. He said the noise was like a war movie, and he saw passengers and crew shouting and crying as they tried to leave the sinking vessel.

The American Heritage was built in 2015, has at least four decks and can carry up to 150 guests. It was finishing an eight-day cruise to destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi.