Cruise Ship American Heritage Hit by Tanker in New Orleans

About 130 people were rescued from a cruise ship after a tanker struck it in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday. The vessel, named the American Heritage, was docked at the time of the collision, according to BBC News.

Thirty-two people were taken to hospital with non-critical injuries, the same report said. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said that no one was unaccounted for after the collision.

The cause is still under investigation. A possible steering fault is suspected, according to the BBC. Steering faults are problems with the system that controls a ship's direction, and they are one of several possibilities that investigators typically examine after a collision of this kind. No further detail on the cause has been confirmed.

New Orleans sits on the Mississippi River, one of the busiest commercial waterways in the United States, where large cargo and tanker vessels and passenger ships share the same channels. The river's traffic and the size of the ships involved are relevant background.

Further updates on the investigation and the injured are expected as officials release more information.