A riverboat carrying nearly 130 passengers capsized Friday, November 13, after being struck by a much larger tanker in the Mississippi River near New Orleans' French Quarter, prompting a major rescue operation involving the U.S. Coast Guard and local emergency responders.

The American Heritage, operated by American Cruise Lines, was docked in the Port of New Orleans when it was struck broadside by the tanker Atlantic Asphalt at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time. The cruise vessel had reportedly been docked for about two hours before the collision.

American Cruise Lines confirmed that passengers and crew were evacuated following the incident and said it was coordinating with the Coast Guard and local authorities. The company expressed concern for everyone involved as emergency personnel worked at the scene.

Video and photographs from the collision showed people wearing life jackets in the water near the overturned vessel. Authorities had not immediately confirmed whether everyone aboard had been accounted for.

Passenger Rhonda Akers told NBC News that the impact occurred more than once before the riverboat overturned, forcing her to crawl over a railing and other passengers to reach safety. Her husband was hospitalized with a head injury, she said.

The U.S. Coast Guard closed a three-mile stretch of the Mississippi River to commercial traffic while emergency responders conducted rescue operations and assessed the situation. Coast Guard Lt. Krystal Wolfe confirmed the temporary closure.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the collision, according to a senior White House official. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also acknowledged the incident, saying he was in contact with local officials and law enforcement. Landry announced that he was traveling to New Orleans to monitor the response.

The tanker, Atlantic Asphalt, is registered in the Marshall Islands and is owned by Chinese and Liberian companies, according to public records.

The American Heritage was built in 2015 and has a passenger capacity of approximately 150 people. The vessel was scheduled to begin a seven-night round-trip cruise along the Mississippi River.

Investigators were working to determine what caused the collision. Authorities had not released a final accounting of injuries or confirmed whether all passengers and crew had been safely recovered.