The cruise ship American Heritage, carrying about 129 passengers, was struck by a tanker on the Mississippi River near the Port of New Orleans on Friday while it was stopped to disembark passengers, injuring about a dozen people who were taken to health centers, with all occupants subsequently rescued, according to American Cruise Lines, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno and Port of New Orleans spokesperson Kimberly Curth.

The vessel was hit by the tanker Atlantic Asphalt while carrying more than 100 people on board. The company said it was working in close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities and confirmed that passengers and crew were evacuated.

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Images shared on social media showed the riverboat listing to one side and partially submerged after the collision, with several tugboats holding the vessel near one of the bridges crossing the Mississippi. Videos also showed people in the water attempting to reach a ramp to safety on dry land.

The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating the response with the local government through an official investigation into the actual cause of the collision, a detail that no agency has disclosed so far.

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