Passengers were caught on camera scrambling over the boat’s railings to reach safety as the American Heritage cruise ship went under.
All passengers have been accounted for following a frantic rescue operation that left 32 people requiring hospital treatment. The U.S. Coast Guard, in what the state’s governor has described as the “miracle on the Mississippi”.
The Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with the side of American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage at approximately 12:30pm local time. The river cruiser had been moored on the Mississippi River at the Port of New Orleans when it was struck.
Video footage captured the harrowing moment passengers screamed as the vessel began listing to one side before sinking rapidly. In further clips circulating across social media, a number of people can be seen in the water wearing life jackets as helicopters circle overhead.
A video shared on KSLA News 12 showed passengers in lifejackets clinging to the stricken ship as it continued to take on water. The footage was posted at 2.10pm ET and has since attracted over 300 comments.
The latest statement from the US Coastguard reads: “Working closely with our partners, the USCG has confirmed all passengers are accounted for, with no reported casualties following the collision on the MS River. Our focus now shifts to safely reopening the river and coordinating salvage operations.”
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno says an American Cruise Line vessel “toppled over and flipped” after a tanker ship navigating the river lost control. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry praised the quick emergency response to the crash, dubbing it the “miracle on the Mississippi”.
The cause of the crash remains unclear and the mayor says an investigation is under way, though it appears a “loss of steering” may have been involved.
The Mississippi River, the second-longest river in North America, is a major commercial waterway transporting 669 million tonnes of cargo across the US every year, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The river will initially likely be reopened to one-way traffic, with the Coast Guard’s vessel monitoring service helping direct all the traffic coming through, says Burnham.
