Tanker slams into docked river cruise boat in New Orleans, leaving it on its side with about 129 passengers aboard

A tanker struck the American Heritage river cruise boat on the Mississippi River at the Port of New Orleans on Friday, leaving the paddlewheel boat on its side and largely underwater, CBS News reports. Rescues were underway.

The Port of New Orleans said the much larger tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, hit the American Heritage at about 12:30 p.m. local time while it was docked. The cruise boat had docked about two hours earlier so passengers could get off. About 129 passengers, plus crew, were aboard at the time of the collision, according to Port NOLA.

Some people were seen in the water in life jackets, and others stood near the railing as the boat listed farther into the river. Nearby boats reported pulling more than a dozen people from the water. Port NOLA Harbor Police, the New Orleans Fire Department, the New Orleans Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard were working the scene.

"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," Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said.

Witness Jamie Holford told CBS News that people hurried off the boat, and some climbed over the railings as it rolled over. "It looked like something off the Titanic," he said. "It sounded like a war movie. Just imagine tons of steel crunching."

The American Heritage, built in 2015 and operated by American Cruise Lines, is five stories tall and can carry up to 150 passengers. MarineTraffic lists the Atlantic Asphalt as a tanker that carries asphalt and bitumen. This is a developing story.

Update, Nov. 13: Everyone aboard both vessels has been accounted for and no deaths were reported, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said at a late-afternoon briefing, calling the rescue a "miracle on the Mississippi." She said 32 cruise passengers were taken to hospitals, none with critical injuries, and Harbor Police Chief Melanie Montroll said two of her officers were also hospitalized and are in good condition. Moreno said the tanker "lost control." The Coast Guard, which closed the river, is working to reopen it, and the NTSB is sending a "Go Team" on Saturday to investigate, CBS News reports.