At least two people died when the Mexican Navy sailing ship “Cuauhtemoc” crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced.
“Of the 277 people on board, 19 were injured, two remain in a critical condition and two have unfortunately died from their injuries,” Adams wrote on Platform X.
In a video that is spreading on social media, you can see how the high masts of the sailing ship “Cuauhtemoc” get stuck on the bridge as the ship passed under the famous building.
Parts of the mast fell to the deck. According to the authorities, the injuries occurred because some crew members were on the masts at the time of the impact. A number of sea cadets dressed in white uniforms could be seen on deck.
There were more than 200 people on board, and it arrived in New York as part of a friendly visit. Local media reports that the ship allegedly lost power before the collision.
At a news conference led by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, authorities reported that no one ended up in the water. The mayor added that the Brooklyn Bridge did not suffer major damage, RSE reports.
The US Coast Guard said the ship had lost the tops of two masts, but that all crew members had been found. The injured were transported to the hospital.
The Mexican Navy confirmed that the ship was damaged and that the incident was being investigated.
The NYPD’s chief of operations said he believed the collision with one of the poles was due to “mechanical problems” and a power outage.
The Mexican navy said 22 people were injured, including three seriously, while the mayor of New York said four people were seriously injured.
According to the Mexican Navy, the ship is 90.5 meters long and 12 meters wide. It sailed for the first time in 1982.
It sails every year at the end of classes at the naval school as the final part of the cadet training.
This year, it set sail from the Mexican port of Acapulco on April 6 with 277 people on board, the navy announced. The final destination was supposed to be Iceland.
