LIVE: Tanker collides with river cruiser carrying nearly 150 people near Port of New Orleans, rescues underway

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - A river cruiser carrying nearly 150 passengers is taking on water near the Port of New Orleans, with rescue efforts underway.

Governor Jeff Landry has confirmed he was aware of the situation and was heading to New Orleans.

According to the Port of New Orleans press secretary, a tanker collided with an American Cruise Lines’ American Heritage around 12:30 p.m. Friday.

At the time of the collision, there were about 129 passengers, in addition to crew members, aboard the American Heritage, Port NOLA said.

The river cruiser was docked on the Mississippi River outside 1350 Port of New Orleans Place when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker collided with it, officials added.

The ship docked two hours earlier to begin passenger disembarkation.

Emergency response teams were conducting rescue and response operations, with passengers being brought inside the Port of New Orleans Administration Building.

This is a breaking news story with continued updates