Two people were killed and at least 19 others injured when a Mexican Navy training ship, the Cuauhtémoc, crashed into New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday evening. Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the incident, stating the vessel lost power before the collision, BBC reports.
The ship, carrying 277 people as part of a goodwill tour, struck the bridge with its towering masts.
Footage showed the masts clipping the bridge and snapping, causing panic among crew members—some of whom were standing on the rigging at the time.
All three masts broke and fell to the deck, but no one fell into the water, according to the New York Coast Guard.
Two of the 19 injured are in critical condition. Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with screams from the ship and emergency services struggling through heavy traffic to reach the site. Crowds fled the waterfront during the impact.
Authorities said mechanical failure and a power outage likely caused the crash. Despite the collision, the Brooklyn Bridge sustained no major damage and was reopened following a preliminary inspection.
The Cuauhtémoc, a 297-foot-long vessel with 147-foot-tall masts, was on a training mission for naval cadets. It had departed from Acapulco, Mexico, on April 6 and was headed to Iceland.
The ship has been in service since 1982 and is a key part of the Mexican Navy’s training program. It was later towed away from the scene. Police urged the public to avoid the area due to heavy emergency response activity.
