Two people died and more than a dozen others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Sunday.
“Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge”, Adams posted on X.
“At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries.”
The training ship slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge late on Saturday local time, snapping all three of its masts as it collided with the New York City landmark.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X that she was “deeply saddened” by the two crew members’ deaths.
According to multiple US media reports, around 200 people were on the Cuauhtémoc, a barque built in 1982 with a mast height of 48.2 meters, at the time of the collision.
The Cuauhtémoc had been on a training manoeuvre at the time and was damaged in the “mishap,” the Mexican Navy said in a separate statement on X.
“The Ministry of the Navy reaffirms its commitment to the safety of its personnel, transparency in its operations and excellence in the training of future officers of the Mexican Navy,” it said.
The bridge sustained no major damage, New York City transportation official said. Traffic reopened in both directions after a preliminary inspection. Source: AP / Yuki Iwamura
‘Panic on the ship’
Footage shared online showed the Cuauhtemoc, its sails furled and festive lights draped in its rigging, as it tried to pass beneath the bridge, which sheared off the masts and sent them crashing into the East River.
There was “panic on the ship,” Brooklyn resident Nick Corso, 23, who was standing near the water, told thr Agence France-Presse news agency.
He had been poised to take a photo, but when he realised what was happening, he switched to video.
“Lots of screaming, some sailors hanging from the masts, looked like panic happening on the ship,” he said.
“I didn’t see anyone fall into the water, but lots of people up top. People ran back and were screaming!” Corso said.
“The one thing that stood out to me was the panic on the ship, and there was a guy at the back waving for people to move away from the walkway we were on,” he said.
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