A major water accident occurred on the Mississippi River near New Orleans: a tanker collided with a moored cruise paddle steamer, which subsequently capsized on its side and partially sank. The accident happened around noon on Friday, November 13. According to City Mayor Helena Moreno, the tanker Atlantic Asphalt lost control and crashed into the paddle steamer American Heritage docked at the pier. Following the collision, the passenger vessel began taking on water and then flipped over, leaving dozens of people in the water.

How the Situation on Board Unfolded

At the time of the accident, there were about 180 people on board the American Heritage—according to American Cruise Lines and local authorities, this included 129 tourists (with no children among them) and crew members. The steamer itself, built in 2015 and designed for 150 passengers, was completing an eight-day river cruise at the time. A few minutes after the ramming, the ship listed heavily and laid on its side. According to Port Police Chief Melanie Montroll, about 87 passengers managed to get ashore before the steamer capsized.

Rescue Operation

Port staff, firefighters, and other emergency services promptly arrived at the scene; bystanders and crews of neighboring vessels joined the rescue efforts, and drones were deployed to search for people from the air. Mayor Moreno called the incident a “miracle on the Mississippi”: everyone on board was successfully located and evacuated. Following the collision, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the movement of all vessels in the accident area.

Casualties and Condition of the Vessels

According to preliminary data, 32 passengers were hospitalized, but none of them sustained serious injuries, and there were no fatalities. The Atlantic Asphalt tanker, reportedly about 160 meters long, sailed under the Marshall Islands flag and was transporting asphalt and bitumen; it had departed from the port about an hour before the incident. The American Heritage steamer is approximately 90 meters long.

Causes and Authorities' Reaction

The causes of the collision are currently being investigated. Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham suggested that a steering system malfunction might have occurred on the tanker, but no final conclusions have been made yet. American Cruise Lines stated it is cooperating with the Coast Guard and local authorities and confirmed the evacuation of passengers and crew. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also arrived at the scene. U.S. President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post, thanked the Coast Guard and emergency services, noting that “surprisingly, no one died as a result of this massive collision,” and pointing out that 32 people are in the hospital.

Context

The incident in New Orleans has become one of the notable water accidents of recent times. To recap, in January 2026, the ferry Trisha Kerstin 3 sank in the southern Philippines with 332 passengers and 27 crew members on board: at least 15 people died, and another 43 were considered missing. Unlike that accident, the collision in New Orleans resulted in no fatalities.