Brooklyn Bridge ship crash kills two people
NEW YORK
Two people died and 19 others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on May 18.
The ship snapped all three of its masts as it collided with the New York City landmark late on May 17, while onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror.
"At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries," Adams posted on X.
Footage shared online showed the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, its sails furled and festive lights draped in its rigging, as it tried to pass beneath the bridge, which sheared off the masts and sent them crashing into the East River.
Hundreds of cheering spectators had gathered minutes earlier to bid farewell to the ship, which had been docked at a pier in southern Manhattan since Tuesday.
The Mexican Navy said in a statement that two crew members died in the crash, with a further 22 injured, half of them critically.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X that she was "deeply saddened" by the two crew members' deaths.
The ship lost power at around 8:20 p.m. while the captain was maneuvering the vessel, forcing it to head for the bridge abutment on the Brooklyn side, New York police chief of special operations Wilson Aramboles told a press conference.
Several sailors at the top of the ship were injured when it crashed into the bridge, Aramboles said.
