Tanker collides with passenger ship in Mississippi: Evacuation operation launched for 129 people

A serious maritime accident occurred on the Mississippi River in the state of Louisiana. The tanker named Atlantic Asphalt collided with the passenger vessel American Heritage, owned by the company American Cruise Lines, which had anchored near the shore to disembark its passengers. According to information Anadolu Agency relayed from local media, there were 129 people aboard the vessel at the time of the accident, including crew.

Immediately after the collision, the American Heritage began taking on water rapidly and was seen starting to list within a short time. In footage that surfaced on social media, some passengers were seen trying to hold on to pontoons and various floating pieces on the water, while some fell into the river. Coastal security units and local emergency response teams launched a comprehensive rescue operation immediately after the moment of the accident, for passengers both trapped inside the vessel and those who fell into the water.

There is not yet any official information in the wire source regarding the number of dead and injured in the accident. The course of the operation is being closely followed.