How did Mexican Navy ship crash into Brooklyn Bridge? What we know so far
Authorities are investigating after a Mexican Navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17, leaving two dead and 19 injured.
The Cuauhtémoc, a sail training vessel for the Mexican Navy, lost power before striking the bridge connecting the Brooklyn and Manhattan boroughs in New York City around 8:20 p.m. ET, authorities said.
Social media videos of the crash showed the ship's 147-foot masts sheared off by the impact.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on X that there were nearly 300 people on board. In addition to the two sailors who died, two people are in critical condition, Adams said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash.
Here's everything we know so far:
The cause of the crash is under investigation, the NTSB said.
The agency said on May 18 that it was assembling a team to conduct a safety investigation into the collision.
The "multidisciplinary investigative team" that is investigating the crash includes "experts in nautical operations, marine and bridge engineering and survival factors," the NTSB said on X.
Mexico's navy supported local authorities in responding to the crash, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said.
Adams said the ship lost power before crashing into the bridge at about 8:20 p.m. ET. The ship was reportedly traveling the wrong way before its collision, according to The New York Times and the Associated Press.
Brooklyn Bridge ship crash: Mexican ship headed the wrong way before fatal collision, reports say
A total of 277 people were on board the ship when it crashed, Adams said. The Fire Department of New York said 27 people were removed for treatment.
A female cadet and a male Marine died from their injuries, Sheinbaum told reporters on Sunday. Sheinbaum said that injured cadets were "doing better."
In a post on X, Rocío Nahle García, the governor of Veracruz, Mexico, identified one of the cadets killed in the crash as América Yamilet Sánchez.
2 sailors killed: Mexican Navy tall ship smashes into Brooklyn Bridge
The Cuauhtémoc ship was in New York from May 13 to 17, according to the Consulate General of Mexico in New York.
The Mexican Navy said in a press release that the ship was visiting for a training cruise called "Bicentennial of the Consolidation of Independence at Sea."
The Cuauhtémoc ship experienced damage on all three of its masts as a result of the collision, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The ship is "currently moored at Pier 36 on the East River as damage assessments and future actions for the salvage plans for the vessel are being determined," the Coast Guard said in a release.
The Brooklyn Bridge was temporarily closed in both directions after the collision, according to New York City's Emergency Management Department.
Adams said the bridge was reopened to the public as of midnight local time on May 18.
The New York City Department of Transportation had bridge inspectors on site, but said "there are no signs of structural damage" to the bridge.
Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Gabrielle Banks and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mexican ship Brooklyn Bridge: What we know about fatal crash so far
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