The training ship, built in 1982, collided with one of New York’s symbols, pushed by the current and without steering, perhaps due to an electrical fault
NEW YORK (AP) — A Mexican navy sailing ship on a global goodwill tour struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday, snapping its three masts,هn a catastrophic accident killing two crew members and leaving some sailors dangling from harnesses high in the air waiting for help.injured at least 20 people who were climbing the trees, some of them in critical condition.
Tragic scene
In a scene captured in multiple eyewitness videos, the ship, called the Cuauhtemoc, could be seen traveling swiftly in reverse toward the bridge near the Brooklyn side of the East River. Then, its three masts struck the bridge’s span and snapped, one by one, as the ship kept moving.
New York City Mayor announced
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced it on X: “Tonight, the Mexican Navy sailing ship Cuauhtemoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.”Two of the four people who suffered serious injuries later died, Adams announced on social media early Sunday.
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The vessel, a 147-foot tall ship built in 1982, lost power shortly after leaving Pier 17, and the current pushed it into the bridge structure. The impact snapped the vessel’s three main masts. Several cadets were in the masts at the time of the accident; some fell or were left hanging before being rescued.There were 277 people on board, including 64 women. The ship had left Acapulco on April 6 for a goodwill mission, with stops in 22 ports in 15 countries. After a stop in New York, it was headed to Iceland.
Mexican and U.S. authorities are working together to investigate the cause of the accident. New York Mayor Eric Adams said an electrical fault was suspected as a possible cause of the ship’s loss of control. No structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge was reported.
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The injured were taken to the hospital, while authorities temporarily closed the roads around the accident area to facilitate rescue operations and investigations. The Mexican Navy promised full transparency in the investigation and expressed its condolences to the families of the victims. It also confirmed that no one ended up in the sea and that no recovery operations were necessary.
The New York Department of Transportation reported via Platform X that “there are no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge, although inspections are ongoing.” The bridge, which connects Brooklyn to Manhattan, was closed to traffic for about 40 minutes.
Cuauhtémoc
Cuauhtémoc was built in Bilbao, Spain in 1981 and originally called Celaya. She was later acquired by the Mexican Navy as a training vessel for officers, cadets, petty officers and sailors. Cuauhtemoc sailed the world for thirteen years and in 1995 underwent a major refit of the ship and rigging.
Sources : Agencies
