Rescues are underway in New Orleans after a tanker hits a river cruise boat on the Mississippi River

NEW ORLEANS — At least 180 passengers and crew members were rescued Friday after a tanker lost control and struck a river cruise paddleboat on the Mississippi River, partially submerging the vessel, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said.

Moreno called the rescue effort "a miracle on the Mississippi." She said 32 people were taken to the hospital, but none had critical injuries.

The American Heritage was carrying passengers when the much larger Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck it as it appeared to be docked, according to video from the scene. The collision sent metal and glass crashing as the paddleboat began listing and partially sank.

Tugboat operators, nearby workers, police and other rescuers rushed to help passengers and crew members from the water. More than a dozen people wearing life jackets were seen being pulled from the 66-degree Fahrenheit river onto nearby vessels, while others stood near the railing as the boat tilted further into the water.

Devon Flanagan, who was working nearby at the Port of New Orleans, said he noticed workers rushing down the dock. When he got out of his truck, he saw the American Heritage on its side and passengers in the water.

"It was just chaos," he said. "You had all types of ships, like other barges and other companies down there trying to help out, which also was a little convoluted because you had people still in the water."

The American Heritage was built in 2015 and is operated by American Cruise Lines. The five-story vessel can carry up to 150 passengers and was finishing an eight-day cruise to several destinations along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The cruise line said it was working with the Coast Guard and would share more information when it could.

The Atlantic Asphalt specializes in carrying large quantities of asphalt and bitumen, a semi-solid substance commonly used in road construction and roofing, according to the live shipping tracker MarineTraffic. It was not immediately clear whether the tanker was carrying any materials at the time of the collision.

Ships carrying asphalt and bitumen are often heated to more than 250 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the material from solidifying, according to the maritime periodical Marine Insights.

The 520-foot tanker was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and had a final destination of New Orleans, according to MarineTraffic.

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