'Miracle on Mississippi' - All passengers rescued after New Orleans cruise ship collision
Some 130 people on a cruise ship docked in New Orleans have been rescued after it was struck by a tanker.
The cruise ship, American Heritage, was left lying on its side in the Mississippi River after it was hit by the cargo vessel Atlantic Asphalt.
The collision left 32 people from the stricken riverboat in hospital with non-critical injuries, but no-one unaccounted for. Officials hailed it as a "miracle on the Mississippi".
The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, but US Coast Guard Capt Melanie Burnham said: "There seems to be some type of a loss of steering."
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno told a news conference that all credit in the rescue effort should go to first responders who "literally jumped right in to help".
"We have zero people unaccounted for, which truly is a miracle on the Mississippi," Moreno said.
Calls about the collision began around 13:30 EST (18:30 GMT) on Friday, when people began trying to help passengers escape the boat as it took on water, Port of New Orleans chief Melanie Montroll told the news conference.
There were about 129 passengers, in addition to crew members, on the American Heritage at the time of the collision, according to the port authority.
Passengers began getting off the paddlewheeler vessel, operated by American Cruise Lines, as it started listing before tipping onto its side, Moreno said.
Tugboat operators, police and other rescuers rushed to help while officials shut down traffic in the Mississippi River during the rescue effort.
The American Heritage had been finishing an eight-day cruise calling at destinations in Louisiana and Mississippi along the waterway.
US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the rescue had been an "incredible job".
Governor Jeff Landry also hailed the rescue as a "miracle on the Mississippi" given the "sheer number of people who were on that cruise ship" who were rescued.
Ships have operated safely on the Mississippi River for years, Landry said, pledging to investigate what had occurred.
Jamie Holford, a witness to the crash, told the BBC's US partner CBS that he had seen the cruise ship hit the dock following the collision.
"It sounded like a war movie. Just imagine tons of steel crunching. That's what it sounded like," he said. "It looked like something off the Titanic."
Holford added that he had seen passengers and crew "hollering" and "crying" as they tried to get off the ship while it was sinking.
The American Heritage can carry up to 150 guests and features a glass-enclosed restaurant, fitness centre and three guest lounges, according to its website.
Built in 2015, the vessel has at least four decks.
credit: BBC
