According to Al Jazeera, the Port of New Orleans reported that the tanker Atlantic Asphalt collided with the passenger vessel American Heritage on the Mississippi River at around 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday, leaving the latter partially submerged. The report stated that the cruise ship was carrying 129 passengers. Local authorities said multiple people have been rescued and search-and-rescue operations are ongoing, while the operator stated that all passengers and crew have been evacuated. At the time of reporting, authorities had not yet released casualty figures, and vessel traffic on the river has been suspended. The cause of the collision and whether the tanker was carrying cargo at the time remain unclear.