Mexican Navy ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge leaving two people dead

Summary

A Mexican navy sailing ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday during a promotional tour in New York City, the top of its mast brushing the iconic span as it sailed through the East River.New York City mayor Eric Adams said two people were killed in the incident – another 19 people were injured, including two critically. There were 277 people aboard the ship – the Cuauhtémoc – when it lost power and struck the bridge, Adams said.In a scene captured in multiple eyewitness videos, three masts of the ship could be seen snapping and partially collapsing as they crashed into the deck of the bridge. Videos showed heavy traffic on the span at the time of the collision. The vessel, which was flying a giant green, white and red Mexican flag, then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.The Mexican navy said in a post on the social platform X that the Cuauhtémoc, 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.Pedestrians walking along Brooklyn Bridge Park look on as the training ship sits stranded near the Manhattan Bridge. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/AP“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.Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz told the Associated Press they were sitting outside to watch the sunset when they saw the vessel strike the bridge and one of its masts snap. Looking closer, they saw someone dangling from high on the ship. “We saw someone dangling, and I couldn’t tell if it was just blurry or my eyes, and we were able to zoom in on our phone and there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,” Katz said....