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Rescue operations were underway on Friday after a freighter collided with a cruise ship on the Mississippi River in the US, carrying around 130 people.
Footage shows the paddlewheel cruise boat capsizing following the impact. Rescue teams were seen rushing to get people in life jackets out of the water.
Authorities have not yet said whether there were any injuries or fatalities.
The accident happened near the port of New Orleans when the cargo vessel Atlantic Asphalt hit the cruise ship while it was docked.
“It was just chaos,” local witness Devon Flanagan was quoted by news agency AP.
“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,” he described the scene.
The company operating the passenger ship, American Cruise Lines, said in a statement that “guests and crew were evacuated, and we are deeply concerned for everyone involved.”
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he was on his way to New Orleans. “We are aware of the incident on the Mississippi and we are in close contact with local officials and law enforcement,” he wrote on X.
