On the 17th (local time), a large sailing ship carrying graduates of the Mexican Naval Academy collided with the Brooklyn Bridge while navigating the East River in New York City, resulting in at least 2 deaths and several injuries.
According to reports from the Associated Press and other media, at 8:20 p.m. that day, the Mexican naval training vessel ‘ARM Cuauhtémoc’ slowly collided with the bridge near the Brooklyn Bridge, breaking three masts installed on the ship. After the collision, the sailing ship was caught on the bridge for a moment before gradually being pushed toward the shore.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said through social media platform X (formerly Twitter), “Of the 277 people on board, 19 were injured, including 2 in critical condition. Tragically, 2 more injured individuals have passed away.”
Footage capturing the moments of the accident shows the mast breaking after hitting the bridge, with the ship being pushed away by the current. At that time, it was reported that many vehicles were traversing the bridge.
According to CNN, the 2 deceased individuals appear to have fallen from the mast. Local police and witnesses reported that multiple passengers were on the mast at the time of the accident, with some waiting for rescue while harnessed.
The Cuauhtémoc is approximately 80 meters long and 45 meters high, decorated with the Mexican flag, numerous white sails, and vibrant light bulbs, and had been receiving much attention prior to the incident.
The Mexican Navy officially confirmed the incident through X and stated that they are collaborating with New York authorities to manage the aftermath of the accident.
The Cuauhtémoc, a vessel for the long sailing training of naval academy graduates, departed from Acapulco, Mexico, on the 6th of last month and was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 countries over a total of 254 days. At the time of the accident, it was en route to Iceland, the next destination.
New York police are investigating, weighing the possibility that the vessel lost propulsion due to a mechanical failure, which may have led to the accident. Immediately after the incident, the Cuauhtémoc was moved to a nearby dock with the help of a tugboat.
The Brooklyn Bridge, an iconic bridge in New York that opened in 1883, is a major thoroughfare utilized by approximately 100,000 vehicles and 32,000 pedestrians daily. Traffic in both directions was temporarily blocked immediately after the accident but has since resumed.
Mayor Adams stated that there was no significant damage to the Brooklyn Bridge itself.
Following the incident, City Council member Lincoln Restler of the Brooklyn district remarked, “This accident was extremely reckless and careless,” adding, “Given that there are many bridges in New York Harbor, the captain should have considered the safety of the passengers more diligently.”