At least 100 people pulled from Mississippi River after New Orleans ship crash as lengthy salvage effort looms

Roughly 100 people were pulled from the Mississippi River after a tanker struck a docked cruise ship in New Orleans on Friday, officials revealed Saturday, as the U.S.Coast Guard prepares for a potentially weeks-long operation to remove the capsized vessel.New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno said 191 passengers and crew members were aboard the American Heritage when the Atlantic Asphalt tanker struck the vessel near the Port of New Orleans.Everyone survived, though eight people remained hospitalized Saturday, including two in serious condition.

The other six patients were stable, officials said.Coast Guard Capt.Melanie Burnham said crews were preparing to remove 16,000 gallons of fuel from the American Heritage before salvage operations begin.

Divers were expected to assess the vessel, while pollution response teams monitored the river for potential leaks.NEW ORLEANS BOAT CRASH CALLED ‘MIRACLE ON THE MISSISSIPPI’ AS EVERYONE IS ACCOUNTED FOR, OFFICIALS SAYTugboats surround the Atlantic Asphalt tanker in New Orleans following its collision with the docked American Heritage river cruiser on Nov.13, 2026.

(Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)Burnham said crews had not observed any product in the river requiring removal but warned that hazardous materials could potentially escape during the operation."As the mayor said, we're talking weeks, we're not talking days, we're talking weeks.So we're going to do this safely and we're going to make sure that it's done right," Burnham said.Moreno also revealed that the American Heritage's captain was injured but remained aboard until passengers and crew were accounted for, becoming the last person to leave the vessel."Every moment of the critical time [Friday], he did not want to leave his ship," Moreno said.TWO DEAD, INCLUDING INFANT, AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES IN NEW YORK HARBOR; 12 RESCUEDPort of New Orleans collision map (Fox News)The captain initially refused medical treatment until he knew where everyone was, according to the may...