Politics
Two Dead After Mexican Navy Ship Crashes Into Brooklyn Bridge
At least two people were killed and 12 others were injured when a Mexican Navy tall ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night. Early investigations indicate the ship lost power shortly before the collision, according to the New York Police Department.
The Cuauhtémoc, a three-mast tall ship built in Spain in 1981, holds a crew of 277 largely made up of cadets. The ship is primarily used for training exercises and ceremonial events both in Mexico and abroad.
The vessel had recently embarked on a global goodwill tour and was offering public tours before departing for Iceland.
Shortly before 8:30 p.m. Saturday, the ship appeared to lose control before barreling backwards underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, causing all three of its towering masts to snap.
Two sailors were on top of one of the 147-foot masts when it struck the bridge, according to a report from the New York Post. Two people killed and 22 others were injured, 11 of them critically, according to an update provided by the Mexican Navy on Sunday morning.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that the suspected power took place during a training exercise. NYPD investigators believe the vessel lost its ability to steer and was pulled under the bridge by the river’s current, though officials have stressed that the loss of power theory is preliminary as the investigation unfolds.
“We are praying for everyone on board and their families and are grateful to our first responders who quickly jumped into action, ensuring this accident wasn’t much worse,” Adams wrote in an X post. “Following our preliminary inspection, we can confirm that the bridge sustained no damage and is now open to the public.”
The most critically injured sailors were up on the mast of the ship at the time it crashed into the bridge, officials said. No one fell into the water, though divers did conduct search and rescue operations as a precaution, police officials familiar with the operation told NBC 4 New York.
As of Sunday morning, the ship had been taken to Pier 36 on the Lower East Side where it was guarded by NYPD officers and an NYPD harbor unit in the water. The U.S. Coast Guard said it has set up a 50-yard safety zone around the vessel.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that the National Transportation Safety Board will be taking the lead on the investigation.
