A festive visit turned tragic on Saturday night when a Mexican Navy training ship crashed into the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, killing two people and injuring at least seventeen others. The ship was illuminated with lights and flying a giant Mexican flag when the accident occurred.
The vessel, named Cuauhtémoc after the last Aztec emperor, approached the bridge from the East River near the Manhattan side. Its 147-foot masts were too tall to clear the structure and were sheared off as the ship passed underneath.
Videos shared online show the dramatic moment the ship struck the bridge and veered toward the dock, sending nearby bystanders into a panic near South Street Seaport. Naval cadets in white uniforms were seen hanging from the crossbeams in the aftermath of the collision.
“No one fell into the water they were all hurt inside the ship,” a police official said. The same official noted that mechanical issues may have caused the crash though further details have not been confirmed.
Mayor Eric Adams posted early Sunday that two of the 277 people on board had died and two others were in critical condition.
The Mexican Navy stated that 22 people on board were injured with 19 receiving treatment in local hospitals and three listed in serious condition. Fortunately no rescue operations were needed as all passengers remained aboard the ship during the accident.
The Cuauhtémoc, built in 1981 at the Celaya Shipyards in Bilbao Spain, had been in New York as part of a public goodwill visit co-hosted by the South Street Seaport Museum. Visitors had been invited aboard earlier that day. The ship was scheduled to depart for Iceland that evening.
Despite the dramatic nature of the crash the Brooklyn Bridge did not sustain major damage according to city transportation officials. The historic bridge which opened in 1883 and once held the title of the world’s longest suspension bridge reopened to traffic after a preliminary inspection.
Mexico’s foreign ministry reported that the country’s ambassador to the United States and other officials were assisting the injured cadets and coordinating with local authorities.
As investigations continue questions remain about how such a miscalculation occurred on a highly monitored and planned naval voyage. What was intended as a celebration of cultural diplomacy ended in tragedy leaving a city and a visiting crew in mourning.
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