Tanker rams US cruise ship, capsizing it (VIDEOS)
An asphalt tanker rammed a docked cruise ship in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday, causing it to capsize and sending passengers into the Mississippi River.
Videos from the scene show the much larger Atlantic Asphalt tanker striking the American Heritage cruise ship directly in the side.
The vessel, operated by American Cruise Lines, was carrying 180 passengers and crew members at the time of the collision.
The cruise ship rolled onto its side and partially sank as tugboat operators, police and other rescuers rushed to help.
Watch the moment a tanker struck a cruise ship in New Orleans. Rescues are underway. 📷: Kern Studios https://t.co/ZPspGtM0Yr https://t.co/O1qGr8kImf
— wdsu (@wdsu) November 13, 2026
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno confirmed that everyone aboard had been rescued. She added that 32 people were hospitalized, none with critical injuries.
“It is a literal miracle on the Mississippi,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry told reporters. “When you think about the population that was on that cruise ship, and the ability for us to get them off, get them out of the water.”
WATCH: Dramatic video shows passengers swimming for help as cruise ship capsizes after being struck by a tanker; 12 people hospitalized, officials say. https://t.co/2UtubUdktf
— Scope Report (@ScopeReport_) November 13, 2026
The cause of the collision remains under investigation. Initial reports suggest the tanker may have lost steering before striking the docked vessel.
The American Heritage is a 90-meter-long paddlewheeler built in 2015. It was completing an eight-day Mississippi River cruise when it was struck. The 160-meter-long, Marshall Islands-flagged Atlantic Asphalt was built in China in 2017.
