A tanker struck a river cruise ship in New Orleans, forcing passengers into the water during disembarkation and triggering a rescue operation on the Mississippi River, CBS News reported.
The collision occurred as travelers were getting off the cruise vessel. The impact pushed passengers overboard and into the river, where emergency responders moved quickly to pull them from the water.
Details on the number of people rescued and the extent of any injuries were not immediately confirmed. The condition of both vessels after the collision also remained unclear.
One witness, identified only as Moreno, described the sequence of events: the tanker struck the cruise ship, and "as passengers were disembarking from the cruise ship," people ended up in the water.
The Mississippi River is one of the busiest commercial waterways in the United States, carrying thousands of barges, tankers and passenger vessels through the Port of New Orleans each year. The port ranks among the largest in the country by tonnage, and cruise traffic has grown steadily as a tourism draw for the city.
Collisions between large commercial ships and passenger vessels on the lower Mississippi are rare but carry severe risk given the river's strong currents and heavy traffic. Federal investigators typically examine navigation records, communication logs and crew drug and alcohol testing after such incidents.
Rescue crews from the New Orleans area responded to the scene. The U.S. Coast Guard, which has jurisdiction over the lower Mississippi, has not released a public accounting of the rescue or the cause of the collision.
This is a developing story. Further details on casualties, damage and the identities of those involved were not available at the time of publication.
