Rescue underway after an oil tanker collides with a New Orleans river boat

A New Orleans river boat with over 100 passengers was struck on Friday by a much larger tanker ship, capsizing the cruise vessel and prompting a major rescue effort in the Mississippi River near the French Quarter.

The American Heritage ship, managed by American Cruise Lines, was t-boned by the tanker while docked in New Orleans, a spokesperson said in a statement.

“We are in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities,” the statement said. “Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved.”

There were nearly 130 passengers on board the Heritage, which had been docked in the port for about two hours before the incident, NBC News affiliate WDSU reported.

Investigators were working to determine the cause of the collision. The Heritage was struck around 12:30 p.m. local time.

Video and images verified by NBC News shows a number of people wearing life jackets in the water near the site of the crash. It was not immediately clear if all passengers and crew were accounted for.

A three-mile stretch of the river was closed to traffic “while responders assess the situation and conduct response operations,” U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Krystal Wolfe said in a statement.

Atlantic Asphalt, the tanker that struck the cruise vessel, is based in the Marshall Islands and is owned by Chinese and Liberian companies, according to public records. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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