A tanker lost control and crashed into a New Orleans cruise ship while 129 passengers were on board, partially sinking the boat in the Mississippi River on Friday.
Officials said no deaths were reported but 32 people were injured and taken to the hospital, including two police officers who were helping with the evacuation.
"This is a miracle. It is a literal miracle on the Mississippi," said Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry. "The Mississippi River is not some quiet pond. There were challenges out there."
The cause of the crash is under investigation but New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said the tanker lost control before the collision. A Port of New Orleans official said the tanker's engine may have lost power, making it impossible to steer.
The cruise ship, a paddle-wheeler named American Heritage, was docked at the Port of New Orleans when it was hit around 12:30 p.m. local time, according to Kimberly Curth, a spokeswoman for the port. As passengers began evacuating, the ship took on water and tipped over, plunging people into the river. First responders and nearby boats helped pull people out of the water, officials said.
Including the crew, at least 180 people were on the ship, according to Moreno. Nobody on the tanker was injured.
River cruise ships typically don't have keels to help with stability because they often move in shallow waters, making them vulnerable to capsizing if they are hit, according to Fotis Pagoulatos, a naval architect in Athens.
Video showed people clinging to the railings as the ship slowly tipped over. With the ship mostly submerged after the crash, people lost keys and other items, and efforts were being made to get people home, Moreno said.
The American Heritage, owned by small cruise ship operator American Cruise Lines, was built in 2015 and holds 150 guests. Eight-day cruises start at about $4,000 per person, according to its website.
The tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, is owned by China State Shipbuilding Corp., according to ship tracker MarineTraffic. China State Shipbuilding didn't respond to a request for comment.
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