Mississippi River cruise ship struck by tanker in New Orleans
More than 129 people were onboard a Mississippi River cruise ship Friday when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with it, according to a press release from the Port of New Orleans.
Key points
- Driving the news: The American Heritage, a vessel operated by American Cruise Lines, had docked for passengers to disembark at the port about two hours before it was hit, the press release says.
- Zoom in: The tanker was immobilized on the river Friday at about 2pm CT, with two tugs positioned on either side.
- Rescue efforts under way as American Heritage takes on water; governor confirms incident in Mississippi River.
The Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage at about 12.30pm, said Kimberly Curth, the Port of New Orleans press secretary, in a statement.
Additional details
- A city spokesman confirmed to Axios that the riverboat had rolled onto its side in the water, which social media videos appear to corroborate.
- Jeff Landry posted on X that he was aware of the incident and en route to New Orleans.
- The big picture: Search-and-rescue operations were ongoing Friday afternoon, but no reports of injuries were immediately available.
- Another dozen vessels were in the water nearby as a helicopter roamed overhead and sirens rang out over the water.
- At the time of the collision, about 129 passengers plus crew were on board.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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Every article behind this summary — 3 articles from 2 outlets
The Guardian WorldNovember 13, 2026, 9:14 PM UTC →
The Guardian WorldNovember 13, 2026, 9:14 PM UTC →
AxiosNovember 13, 2026, 8:39 PM UTC →
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