NEW YORK, May 18 — A Mexican Navy training ship adorned with lights and a massive flag collided with the iconic Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, slicing off the tops of its masts and injuring at least 19 people, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
NEW YORK, May 18 — A Mexican Navy training ship adorned with lights and a massive flag collided with the iconic Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, slicing off the tops of its masts and injuring at least 19 people, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Videos circulating online captured the moment the vessel Cuauhtémoc, a tall ship named after the last Aztec emperor, approached the bridge from the Manhattan side of the East River. Its 147-foot (45-meter) masts proved too tall to pass under the bridge’s arch, toppling as the ship sailed beneath.
The Mexican Navy later reported that 22 people aboard were injured, with 19 receiving treatment in local hospitals and three sustaining serious injuries. Fortunately, no one fell into the water, and no rescue operations were necessary.
Images showed naval cadets in white uniforms clinging to the ship’s crossbeams following the crash. Mayor Adams stated that 277 people were aboard at the time of the incident.
A police official cited possible mechanical issues as the cause of the crash but did not elaborate further.
Footage taken near the base of the bridge, close to the South Street Seaport, showed bystanders fleeing as the large vessel struck the bridge and drifted toward the dock.
The Brooklyn Bridge—completed in 1883 and once the world’s longest suspension bridge—remains a major New York City landmark and traffic artery. A city transportation official confirmed that the bridge sustained no significant damage, and traffic was reopened in both directions after an initial inspection.
Mexico’s foreign ministry said its ambassador to the U.S. and other officials were assisting the injured cadets and coordinating with local authorities.
The Cuauhtémoc was built in 1981 at the Celaya Shipyards in Bilbao, Spain. According to the South Street Seaport Museum, which co-hosted the vessel’s New York visit, the ship had been open to the public and was scheduled to depart Saturday evening for Iceland. — Reuters
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