18-05-2025
Multiple injuries after Mexican navy ship collides with Brooklyn Bridge
A rescue operation is under way in New York after a Navy ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Mexican Navy ship hit the bridge at about 9pm local time on Saturday (2am GMT Sunday) during a promotional tour, the top of its mast brushing the iconic frame as the vessel sailed through the East River.
Fire officials said there have been multiple injuries and a search operation has been launched following reports of people being in the water.
Eyewitness video of the collision that was posted online showed the mast, which was flying a giant Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge.
The video below contains offensive language
@vladmad9 NYC sail boat crash #nyc #crash #brooklynbridge #sailboat ♬ original sound - Vlad Moscow
The vessel – which has a crew of 277 – then drifted towards the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.
The Mexican Navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in an accident with the Brooklyn Bridge that prevented it from continuing its voyage.
It added that the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.
'The Secretary of the Navy renews its commitment to the safety of personnel, transparency in its operations and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Armada,' it said in Spanish.
The Cuauhtemoc is a vessel that sails at the end of classes at the Mexican naval military school to finish cadets' training.
This year it left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on April 6 with 277 people onboard, the Navy said at the time.
The ship was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 nations, including Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; and New York.
It had also planned to go to Reykjavik, Iceland; Bordeaux, Saint Malo and Dunkirk, France; and Aberdeen, Scotland, among others, for a total of 254 days — 170 at sea and 84 in port.
