Two dead, 19 injured as Mexican Navy ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
NEW YORK — A Mexican Navy training ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, killing two people and injuring at least 19 others, after reportedly losing power while navigating the East River.
The Cuauhtémoc, a tall sailing ship carrying 277 people, struck the bridge's Brooklyn abutment, snapping its towering masts as it attempted to pass under the structure. Dramatic video footage showed crew members standing on the masts as they broke and fell onto the deck.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the fatalities and said two of the injured remain in critical condition. No major structural damage was reported to the Brooklyn Bridge, which reopened after a safety inspection.
Authorities attributed the collision to a mechanical failure and a power outage. The ship lost all three of its masts, but no crew members fell into the water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Witnesses described chaos and panic along the waterfront. "Lots of screaming, some sailors hanging from the masts," said Brooklyn resident Nick Corso. Another witness, Kelvin Flores, told the BBC the scene was filled with 'commotion' and emergency crews struggling to reach the crash site due to traffic congestion.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed condolences, calling the loss of the two sailors deeply saddening.
The Cuauhtémoc, launched in 1982, serves as a training vessel for naval cadets and had departed from Acapulco in April en route to Iceland. Its masts reportedly stood 158 feet tall—well above the 135-foot clearance of the Brooklyn Bridge at its center, raising questions about the navigation plan.
The ship was towed from the site after the collision. Investigations are underway. — BBC
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
BBC defends Gaza coverage after White House criticism
LONDON: The BBC Wednesday defended its reporting of an incident in which Palestinians were killed near a Gaza aid center, after the White House accused the broadcaster of taking 'the word of Hamas.' Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli gunfire killed at least 31 people on Sunday near the US-backed aid center. The Israeli military, however, denied its troops had fired on civilians in or around the center, and both it and the aid center's administrator accused Hamas of sowing false rumors. Responding to a question about the incident, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday the BBC had to 'correct and take down' its story about the incident. 'The administration is aware of those reports and we are currently looking into the veracity of them because, unfortunately, unlike some in the media, we don't take the word of Hamas with total truth,' she said. 'We like to look into it when they speak, unlike the BBC, who had multiple headlines,' she said, citing stories that gave different death tolls. 'And then, oh, wait, they had to correct and take down their entire story, saying 'We reviewed the footage and couldn't find any evidence of anything',' she added. But the BBC said the White House claims were not accurate and that it had not removed its story. 'The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism,' it said in a statement. It said headlines giving varying death tolls were 'totally normal' journalistic practice due to the story being 'updated throughout the day with the latest fatality figures as they came in from various sources.' It said the death tolls were always 'clearly attributed, from the first figure of 15 from medics, through the 31 killed from the Hamas-run health ministry to the final Red Cross statement of 'at least 21',' it added. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its field hospital in Rafah received 179 people, including 21 pronounced dead on arrival. Leavitt also criticized the Washington Post for its reporting of the incident. The Post deleted one article over sourcing issues 'because it and early versions of the article didn't meet Post fairness standards.' 'The article and headline were updated on Sunday evening making it clear that there was no consensus about who was responsible.' The BBC has previously faced criticism of its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In February, it apologized and admitted 'serious flaws' over a documentary — 'Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone' — after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a senior Hamas figure.
Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Saudi Gazette
Cologne evacuates 20,000 so WW2 bombs can be defused
COLOGNE — The German city of Cologne is evacuating some 20,500 people from a large area in the city center so experts can defuse three unexploded bombs from World War Two. The American bombs were discovered on Monday in a shipyard in the Deutz neighborhood. Unexploded bombs can still pose a danger and the city has sealed off the zone within a 1,000m (3280ft) radius, in what it described as "the largest operation since the end of WW2". Homes, shops, hotels and schools have been told to evacuate, as well as a large hospital and major train station. "If you refuse, we will escort you from your home - if necessary by force - along with the police," the authorities said. Residents were told if they refused to leave their homes after the evacuation began they could face expensive intensive care patients were helped out in ambulances from the Eduardus country's bomb disposal service plans to diffuse the ten-tonne (10,000kg) and 20-tonne (20,000kg) bombs on Wednesday but it won't be possible to do so until all residents in the area leave for their own safety, the city evacuation in the Old Town and Deutz neighborhoods began with officials going door to door to tell people they must leave their of the city's usually bustling streets were eerily deserted as shops, restaurants and businesses were told to stop operating during the institutions including the Philharmonic Hall and many museums have been affected, as well as government buildings, 58 hotels, and nine was severely disrupted, with all roads are closed in the area, many trains canceled and the Messe/Deutz train station was closed from 08:00 local time (07:00BST).The authorities have set up two drop-in centres for people who don't have anywhere to go during the evacuation were told to "stay calm", bring their ID and any essential medications, and to take care of their Bonn Airport said flights would continue as usual but travelling to the airport by train or road may be some people, the evacuation was more than a little inconvenient. Fifteen couples were scheduled to get married at Cologne's historic town hall but the ceremonies were relocated to a location in another part of the city, local media reported. — BBC
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Missing US journalist Austin Tice was detained by Assad regime despite denials, BBC claims
LONDON: Top-secret Syrian intelligence files have confirmed that missing American journalist Austin Tice was held in detention by the regime of Bashar Assad, the BBC claimed on Monday, marking the most definitive evidence yet tying the former regime to his disappearance. Tice, a former US Marine turned freelance journalist, vanished in August 2012 near Darayya, a suburb of Damascus, just days after his 31st birthday while reporting on the escalating conflict. For years, the Syrian regime has consistently denied any involvement. However, files obtained by the BBC — alongside testimonies from former Syrian officials — appear to corroborate longstanding suspicions by US authorities that the Assad regime was behind his abduction. The documents include internal communications between branches of Syrian intelligence that explicitly name Tice and detail aspects of his detention following his capture near the capital, the BBC claimed. Shortly after his disappearance, the only public evidence of Tice's status came in the form of a video posted online showing him blindfolded, surrounded by armed men, and reciting the Islamic declaration of faith. Although the footage suggested extremist involvement, US intelligence at the time raised doubts about its authenticity, with one analyst calling it possibly 'staged.' In early 2013, Reuters reported that 'an American man, dressed in ragged clothing,' was seen attempting to escape through the streets of Damascus' upscale Mazzeh neighborhood before being recaptured after more than five months in captivity. He has not been seen since, and no group has ever claimed responsibility for holding him. The BBC's investigation, part of a long-running project for Radio 4, claimed that Tice was held in a regime-run detention facility believed to be the notorious Tahouneh prison in Damascus. A former senior Syrian intelligence officer testified that Tice was detained by the pro-Assad National Defence Forces 'until at least February 2013.' According to the report, Tice suffered from stomach problems while in the NDF's captivity and was treated by a doctor at least twice, including for a viral infection. A witness who saw him during detention said Tice 'looked sad' and 'the joy had gone from his face,' though he was reportedly treated more humanely than Syrian inmates due to his perceived value. A former member of the NDF, described by the BBC as having 'intimate knowledge of Austin's detention,' said the regime saw Tice as a 'card' to be used in negotiations with the US. The files also confirm that he attempted to escape through a window but was quickly apprehended and later interrogated at least twice, the BBC claimed. These newly uncovered documents appear to be the first hard evidence directly tying the Assad regime to Tice's imprisonment, undermining more than a decade of Syrian denials. The investigation was conducted in collaboration with a Syrian war crimes investigator, who granted BBC reporters access to the intelligence archive. Despite the collapse of the Assad regime in December, no trace of Tice was found among the prisoners released. Yet hope remains. In the immediate aftermath, then-US President Joe Biden reiterated his belief that Tice was still alive. That view was echoed by Nizar Zakka, head of a US-based hostage advocacy group, who claimed Tice was likely being held by 'very few people in a safe house in order to do an exchange or a deal.' Two days before Biden's remarks, Tice's mother, Debra, said a 'significant source' had confirmed her son was alive and being treated well. In early May, she told The Washington Post that the US government was aware of his location, though no further details were disclosed. President Donald Trump also placed a spotlight on the case during his recent visit to the Gulf. After meeting the Syrian Arab Republic's new president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in Riyadh, Trump told reporters, 'Austin has not been seen in many, many years,' without elaborating. The comment came days after Sky News Arabia falsely reported that Tice's body had been discovered in a cemetery in northern Syria, a claim the family condemned as 'deeply disrespectful.' The Tice family, who have led a decade-long campaign for answers, are aware of the new evidence, as are US officials and Syrian human rights groups. Tice, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan before studying law at Georgetown University, is believed to be one of the longest-held American hostages in history. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, more than 100,000 people disappeared during Assad's rule.
