A tanker collided with a cruise ship on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, triggering a search and rescue operation, officials said.
American Cruise Lines said its ship, a riverboat called American Heritage, was docked when it was struck by the tanker Atlantic Asphalt.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said at a press conference the tanker "lost control" and hit the cruise ship, causing the ship to sink, topple over, and flip. She said some people went into the water and that first responders acted quickly to go into the river and pull people out.
The mayor said 32 people from the ship, which had nearly 200 on board, were transported to local hospitals and that none had critical injuries.
"At this moment, the information that we have, we have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi," Moreno said.
Tamara Carrasco, a retired elementary school teacher from Atlanta, was in the river boat's dining room on the first floor when she spotted the tanker careening toward them.
She ran to the opposite end of the boat and was knocked to the floor by the collision. She said she walked back toward the dining room and saw that the tanker had broken through the glass windows and that water was pouring in like the Titanic.
She's 65 years old and said she felt like a kid compared to most of the passengers.
"This is the most memorable Friday the 13th I've ever had," she told her older sister over the phone, while waiting in the emergency room at University Medical Center in New Orleans.
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The Coast Guard said Friday it was working with local agencies to respond to the incident, which it said occurred at mile marker 96 on the Mississippi River.
"The river is closed to all vessel traffic between mile markers 93 and 96, while responders assess the situation and conduct response operations," the Coast Guard statement said.
Photos and video shared online captured the moment the tanker hit the ship.
The ship, with passengers on board, then tilted to its side until it eventually lay completely sideways and partially submerged.
Photos and video also showed authorities responding to the scene and people being pulled out of the water.
The emergency preparedness campaign for New Orleans said on X that the ferry service across the river was suspended after the collision.