Two Dead, 19 Injured as Mexican Navy Ship Crashes into Brooklyn Bridge
TDT | Manama
A tragic maritime accident unfolded Saturday when a tall Mexican Navy training ship, Cuauhtémoc, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, killing two crew members and injuring 19 others, authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred as the ship, carrying 277 personnel, lost power while navigating New York's East River. According to New York police, the vessel's captain was maneuvering the ship when it veered toward the bridge's Brooklyn abutment after experiencing mechanical failure.
Shocking footage captured the towering masts of the Cuauhtémoc clipping the bridge structure. Authorities said several crew members were stationed on the masts at the time, which collapsed and crashed onto the deck, leading to multiple casualties.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and panic. "There was lots of screaming, some sailors hanging from the masts," said Brooklyn resident Nick Corso, speaking to AFP. Another witness, Kelvin Flores, told the BBC that he saw emergency crews struggle to reach the site due to heavy traffic, adding, "Just seeing the actual damage was insane."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed on social media platform X that two people had died, with two of the 19 injured reported to be in critical condition. Despite the impact, city officials said the Brooklyn Bridge sustained no major structural damage and was reopened following a preliminary inspection.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that all three of the ship's masts were lost in the collision. Fortunately, all personnel were accounted for and no one fell overboard during the incident. Crowds gathered along the waterfront reportedly fled in fear as the ship struck the bridge.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences, saying she was "deeply saddened" by the loss of two crew members. The Cuauhtémoc was eventually towed away from the scene.
The vessel, a 297-foot-long (91-meter) and 40-foot-wide (12-meter) barque, was commissioned in 1982 and is used for training naval cadets. It had departed from Acapulco on April 6, bound for Iceland as part of its annual international training voyage. Officials stated the ship's mast height was approximately 158 feet (48.2 meters), exceeding the Brooklyn Bridge's 135-foot clearance at its center.
Investigations are ongoing, with authorities citing a mechanical failure and subsequent power loss as the likely causes of the collision.
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