New Orleans cruise ship with 129 on board capsizes on Mississippi River after being struck by tanker as horrifying video shows passengers hanging on for life

A huge paddle wheel pleasure boat with 129 people on board close to New Orleans capsized into the Mississippi River after being struck by a tanker. 

The American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, was docked on the river in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday when it was hit by the 520-foot long Atlantic Asphalt shortly after midday.

Disturbing images emerged showing passengers aboard the cruise line holding on to railings for their lives as the ship started to capsize in the Mississippi River.

In another horrific video, the cruise ship, which is five stories tall and can hold 150 passengers, was seen being pulled into the water as the tanker scraped past it.

Police officers could be seen running along the dock as terrified passengers screamed out.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said Friday around 4pm local time that 32 passengers from the cruise ship were in local hospitals. None had critical injuries.

Moreno added that zero people were unaccounted for, which she said was 'truly a miracle on the Mississippi.'

President Donald Trump thanked the US Coast Guard on Truth Social for 'for doing such an incredible job of rescue, and other work, having to do with the crash,' adding that 'incredibly, nobody was killed by this major collision.' 

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said 32 passengers were taken to hospitals, and zero people were unaccounted for 

According to officials, there were approximately 129 passengers onboard the ship in addition to crew members

In this picture, people can be seen being helped out of the water following the crash that led to the ship capsizing

The tanker involved had a final destination in New Orleans, according to MarineTraffic, and was sailing under a flag for the Marshall Islands

Two of the people being treated at hospitals are New Orleans Harbor Police officers who dove into the water to rescue passengers, Moreno said.

Moreno added that the ship had just missed hitting a bridge that carries about 160,000 vehicles daily.

According to initial timelines available, from the boat being hit to capsizing took all of 15 minutes.

New Orleans healthcare system LCMC Health said an 'estimated two dozen patients' had been received into its hospitals after the crash. 

More footage showed passengers, some in their life vests, swimming back to the dock after being thrown into the water. 

As they swam, others could be seen standing upright on what was once the starboard of the ship as they too attempted to make their way back to shore. 

Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser said the first thing that worried him was the age of the passengers.

‘I’ve met many of these cruise lines as the visitors would get off, and most of them are very elderly, some in wheelchairs or in walkers,' Nungesser told Atlanta News First.

'So when you see the boat list that quickly, you really fear the worst because of the ability of those people to get off the boat,’ he added.

Emergency crews are seen here next to the capsized ship on Friday after the tanker crashed into the cruise

Passengers are seen here swimming back to shore in life vests, while others scramble over the side of the ship 

Rescue teams are seen on the river on Friday, what appears to be items from the cruise are floating in the water

Nungesser said the cruise ship had only just set off from the port in New Orleans when disaster struck.

'This one was leaving New Orleans, going to Baton Rouge, Natchez Mississippi, Vicksburg, St Branchville, and then returning to New Orleans,' he said.

The cruise ship involved in the crash had been operating for nine years. It was built in 2015.

Nungesser said his office was working to secure 85 hotel rooms for passengers in the crash.

Meteorologist Derek Sibley said the river’s current temperature was 66 degrees. That means mild hypothermia cannot be ruled out. 

Congressman Troy Carter said that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) groundstop was currently impacting NTSB's search and rescue efforts on the collision scene.

The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop on all US flights this afternoon due to 'extraordinary circumstances.'

The Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) said at 3.54pm ET that the reason for the immediate halting of US flights was: 'Due to extraordinary circumstances for safety reasons.'

A live feed of the incident published by WVUE showed the cruise line half submerged in the water. 

One witness Jamie Holford told WDSU: 'Surreal, that´s what that was. Fifteen minutes from impact to where it rolled over.'

A spokesperson for the Port of New Orleans said that the river cruiser was docked at the time when the tanker collided into it.  

The ship had been docked for two hours at the time of the smash in order to begin passenger disembarkation, the spokesperson said. 

According to officials, there were approximately 129 passengers onboard the ship in addition to crew members. 

A statement continued: 'Our immediate priority is the safety of all passengers, crew members and first responders. This remains an active and evolving incident.'

Disturbing photos showed people clinging to the railings of the ship after the crash

The ship can be seen here half submerged in the waters of the Mississippi River following the collision 

The American Heritage was finishing an eight-day cruise to several Mississippi River destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The tanker involved in the crash specializes in carrying large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, a semi-solid substance that is often used for road construction and roofing, according to the live shipping tracker MarineTraffic.

It had a final destination in New Orleans, according to MarineTraffic, and was sailing under a flag for the Marshall Islands. 

American Cruise Lines said in a statement: 'American Heritage was involved in a collision while it was docked in New Orleans. 

'We are in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities. Guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved. We will share more information as it becomes available.'

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority announced that due to the collision all ferry services across the river had been temporarily suspended. 

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry confirmed he was aware of the incident and was heading to the scene. 

He said: 'We are aware of the incident on the Mississippi and we are in close contact with local officials and law enforcement. I am headed to New Orleans now.'

Landry said during Friday's press cofnerence that an investigation would be launched into the crash as he praised first responders.