A tanker that lost steering struck the docked American Heritage river cruise ship on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday, November 13, 2026. Officials said everyone aboard both vessels was accounted for and there were no fatalities. The New Orleans cruise ship collision left dozens hurt, according to city officials.
According to the Port of New Orleans, the tanker Atlantic Asphalt crashed into the American Heritage, a paddlewheel cruise boat, at about 12:30 p.m. local time. The cruise ship had docked about two hours earlier so passengers could disembark. A Coast Guard commander described the tanker’s apparent problem as "some type of loss of steering."
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said 32 people were taken to hospitals with no critical injuries, according to CBS News US. Moreno said no one aboard the tanker was hurt. She called the outcome a "miracle on the Mississippi," a term Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also used, according to the Guardian.
The American Heritage rolled onto its side and was largely submerged, according to CBS News US. Nearby boats reported rescuing more than a dozen people from the water.
The ship was built in 2015 and is operated by American Cruise Lines. It is five stories tall and can hold up to 150 passengers, according to CBS News US. The Atlantic Asphalt is a bitumen carrier that can carry about 17,500 tonnes and is registered in the Marshall Islands. The Hindu reports that MarineTraffic lists it as a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. These ownership details come from government records and MarineTraffic and have not been independently confirmed by other sources.
Maritime law expert Martin J. Davies of Tulane University told the AP that the tanker was travelling slowly upriver. He said such an incident "indicates that something must have gone really badly wrong," according to the Guardian. President Trump praised the Coast Guard and law enforcement response in a Truth Social post, according to CBS News US.
Reports differ on key numbers. The Hindu says about 180 people were aboard the American Heritage. CBS News US, citing Port NOLA, reports about 129 passengers plus crew. The Guardian, citing Port of New Orleans spokesperson Kimberly Curth, reports 197 passengers. The sources also differ on who the 32 hospitalized people were. CBS News US reports Moreno said 32 passengers were taken to hospital and that two harbor police officers were also hospitalized. The Guardian reports that 30 of the 32 were from the American Heritage and two were harbor police officers.
The cause of the loss of steering is not known, and the investigation is ongoing, Coast Guard Capt. Melanie Burnham said. CBS News US says it contacted the tanker’s owner for comment, but no response is reported. No statement from American Cruise Lines or the tanker’s operator is included in the sources. The Guardian excerpt appears incomplete, so later details may be missing.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it would send a team to investigate the cause. It later changed plans after a nationwide ground stop and will now drive to New Orleans. The Coast Guard is working to reopen the river as soon as possible.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.