(NEW YORK) — Two people were killed and at least 20 injured Saturday night when a Mexican navy training ship on a global goodwill tour struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge, CNN reported.
There were 277 people on the sailing ship, Cuauhtemoc, at the time of the incident. Everyone is believed to be accounted for, officials said Saturday.
Video showed Cuauhtemoc’s masts hitting the underside of the bridge and breaking as the vessel passed underneath, with pieces of the masts falling toward the deck.
The incident occurred about 8:20 p.m. as the ship was departing from New York’s Pier 17, where it had been docked at the South Street Seaport Museum for five days of public viewing.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the ship lost power. City officials earlier said “mechanical issues” may have caused the incident, but cautioned all information so far is preliminary.
The New York Fire Department said it received the call that a ship had struck the bridge at 8:39 p.m. More than 100 fire and emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene, NYFD said.
Video of the ship shortly after it struck the bridge showed people hanging from at least one of its masts. On tall ships like Cuauhtemoc, it is a ceremonial tradition for sailors to climb the masts and rigging when departing or arriving into harbor.
Two people were killed and two remain in critical condition, Adams said. The two who died fell from one of the masts, a law enforcement official told CNN. They were pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital.
“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 wrote on X.
The Mexican navy said earlier 22 people were injured, 19 of whom were taken to hospitals.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the two people killed were crewmembers and sent her condolences to their families.
The ship appeared to lose power as the captain was maneuvering the ship, which forced the vessel toward the bridge pillar, New York Police Department Chief Wilson Aramboles said at a news conference Saturday.
The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation.
Mexican authorities described Cuauhtemoc as a steel-hulled. three-masted barque with a length of around 300 feet and a height of roughly 160 feet.
Government documents show the Brooklyn Bridge has a navigational clearance of 127 feet, roughly 30 feet shorter than the height of the sailing ship.
“While inspections will remain ongoing, there are no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge,” the New York Department of Transportation said in a post on X.
