A Mexican sailing ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge, killing at least 2

Two people died and more than a dozen others were injured when a historic Mexican naval training ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Saturday night, Mayor Eric Adams said.

According to Eric Adams, the Mexican Navy sailing ship Cuauhtémoc slammed the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, killing at least two individuals.

“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.

Two people died after falling from one of the ship's masts, according to a law enforcement officer. They were pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital, the official said.

According to the source, the ship has subsequently been transferred to New York's Pier 36.

City officials earlier said “mechanical issues” may have caused the ship to strike the bridge, but cautioned all information so far is preliminary.

The reason of the crash is still under investigation.

According to police sources, inspectors were despatched promptly to check the bridge's condition. New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the head of bridge division was at the scene, with a preliminary assessment concluding there were no signs of major damage.

Adams said the bridge was open.

The New York Police Department stated that it was investigating the event. Officials at the news conference said the National Transportation Safety Board would also probe the cause of the collision.

The Cuauhtémoc is used to teach sailors, captains, and officers at Mexico's Heroic Naval Military School, according to a news release from one of her voyages. It is a steel-hulled three-masted barque that was launched in 1982 and is around 300 feet in length.

The Mexican Navy said in a statement that the Cuauhtémoc had set sail on April 6 from Acapulco on a mission with the goal of “exalting the seafaring spirit, strengthening naval education, and carrying the Mexican people’s message of peace and good will to the seas and ports of the world.”

It had intended to spend 254 days away, making visits at New York, Kingston, Jamaica, Havana, Reykjavik, Iceland, Aberdeen, Scotland, Avilés, Spain, Bridgetown, Barbados, and London.

The Brooklyn Bridge, which took 14 years to complete, was the city's first suspension bridge. Since its triumphant construction over 140 years ago, the monolithic connector has become a quintessential part of New York City, tying together Brooklyn to Manhattan. It is as iconic a symbol of New York as the Empire State Building.

The Brooklyn Bridge has been struck by tall ships before.