Mexican ship that crashed into Brooklyn Bridge made no distress calls, Mexico says
The Mexican Navy training vessel Cuauhtemoc is seen with broken masts while docked at a pier, after striking the Brooklyn Bridge overnight in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2025. REUTERS/Bjorn Kils/New York Media Boat
MEXICO CITY - The Mexican ship which crashed into New York's Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend did not make distress calls before ramming into the bridge, the head of Mexico's navy said on Tuesday, but rather called for support.
Navy chief Raymundo Morales, speaking at Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's morning press conference, said that the port pilot maneuvering the ship did not have much time to try and stop the ship, as there was a short distance from where it had been docked to the bridge.
"We cannot speculate at this time whether the port pilot used properly all measures available," Morales said, answering questions about the accident that left two dead and 20 injured.
The accident occurred when the majestic white training vessel Cuauhtemoc was departing from lower Manhattan's Pier 17 on the East River shortly after sunset on Saturday.
The investigation into the crash will look into a possible engine failure and the role of a tug boat that assisted it in backing out of its pier and will take at least 30 days, U.S. officials said on Monday. REUTERS
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