New York City officials confirmed that two people died and 19 were injured, and that the Brooklyn Bridge was not damaged.
Federal officials confirmed Sunday they are sending a team to investigate the Mexican Navy tall ship crash at the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, which left at least two dead.
In a statement, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that the Cuauhtemoc tall ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River and that updates will follow. Other details were not provided.
The Cuauhtemoc was visiting New York on a global goodwill tour when the accident occurred on Saturday evening. Video footage of the incident showed that the ship was moving steadily toward the bridge before all three of its masts hit it and snapped as the vessel continued to move forward with no signs of slowing.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Saturday evening that the 140-year-old bridge and national landmark “sustained no damage” during the incident “and is now open to the public.”
In a later update, Adams wrote that the Cuauhtemoc had “lost power” before the crash and that 19 were injured, including two who are in critical condition. Two people died from their injuries, Adams added. It’s not clear why the ship lost power, and decorative lights on the ship were still on at the time of the crash.
Videos showed significant traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge at the time of the 8:20 p.m. ET collision. No one on the bridge was hurt, officials said.
After the collision, the ship, which was flying a large Mexican flag and had 277 people on board, drifted into a pier on the East River, video footage shows. Onlookers were also seen scurrying away as the ship approached the pier.
The Mexican navy said in a post on social media platform X that the Cuauhtemoc was a training vessel. It said a total of 22 people were injured and added that the crash will halt the ship’s training cruise “for the time being.”
“The status of personnel and equipment is being reviewed by naval and local authorities, who are providing support,” the post said, according to a translation. “The Navy reaffirms its commitment to personnel safety, transparency in its operations, and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Navy.”
