New Orleans Tanker Hits Cruise Ship With 129 Aboard on Mississippi River

Last updated: Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, 3:30 p.m. ET. This is a developing story. We'll update this page as officials confirm injuries and the cause.

A tanker slammed into a river cruise ship docked on the New Orleans riverfront Friday afternoon, with roughly 129 passengers still on board. People ended up in the Mississippi River. Rescue crews were pulling them out.

The tanker is the Atlantic Asphalt. The cruise ship is the American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines. According to the Port of New Orleans, the collision happened at about 12:30 p.m. Central time (1:30 p.m. ET) outside the port's offices at 1350 Port of New Orleans Place, near the Crescent City Connection bridge.

The Associated Press reported that the strike left the riverboat partially submerged.

New Orleans tanker and cruise ship collision: what we know

The American Heritage wasn't moving. It had tied up about two hours before the crash so passengers could start getting off, port officials said. That means many people were packed up and waiting to leave when the tanker hit.

Here's what officials and major outlets have confirmed so far:

• People aboard: About 129 passengers, plus crew. CNN, citing port officials, put the total at more than 130.
• People in the water: New Orleans station WDSU reported rescues were underway for about 12 people in the river. WWL radio said around a dozen were reportedly thrown overboard.
• Where survivors are going: Passengers are being brought into the port's administration building for triage and help, the port said.
• Who's responding: Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, NOPD, the U.S. Coast Guard and EMS crews.

NBC News led its site with the rescue Friday afternoon, and the AP, CNN and The Guardian all had it up within the hour.

What officials are saying

The port put out a short statement and didn't guess at numbers. "Our immediate priority is the safety of all passengers, crew members and first responders," it said. "This remains an active and evolving incident. The number of injuries and the cause of the allision have not yet been confirmed."

("Allision" is the maritime term for a moving vessel striking one that's stationary.)

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said multiple people had been rescued and that search-and-rescue work was still going on. Gov. Jeff Landry said he was in contact with local officials and was "headed to New Orleans now," WDSU reported.

American Cruise Lines told FOX Television Stations that guests and crew had been evacuated. "We are in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities," the company said, adding that it was "deeply concerned for everyone involved."

Mississippi River closure near New Orleans

The Coast Guard said it was responding to a collision between a tanker and a cruise ship near mile marker 96. It closed the river to all vessel traffic from mile marker 93 to 96 while responders work.

That stretch runs past the French Quarter and downtown riverfront, one of the busiest parts of the lower Mississippi for barges, tankers and tour boats. Expect shipping delays for as long as the closure lasts. The Coast Guard hasn't said when it'll reopen.

About the American Heritage

American Cruise Lines bills itself as the largest U.S. river and small-ship cruise line, with more than 25 ships that sail only in the United States, WDSU noted. Its paddlewheel-style riverboats run Mississippi River itineraries that often start or end in New Orleans, which is why the American Heritage was docked downtown and unloading Friday.

What's still unconfirmed

Plenty, at this point:

1. How many people were injured, and how badly. No deaths have been reported by officials as of this update.
2. Whether everyone who went into the water has been accounted for.
3. Why the Atlantic Asphalt hit a ship that was tied up at the dock. Neither the tanker's operator nor investigators have said anything about the cause.
4. Whether the tanker was carrying cargo and whether anything leaked into the river.

The Coast Guard typically investigates collisions like this, and the National Transportation Safety Board often joins when passenger vessels are involved. Neither agency had announced an investigation when we published.

We covered another rescue scene this week, the Brooklyn building collapse on Flatbush Avenue, and the pattern holds here too: the first numbers released in a fast-moving emergency usually change. We'll update this page as the port, the Coast Guard and the city release confirmed figures.