A sailing vessel from the Mexican Navy collided with New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to 19 others, as announced by Mayor Eric Adams.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Adams on Sunday, “Out of the 277 individuals on board, 19 sustained injuries, with two in critical condition. Unfortunately, two others have died from their injuries.”
The ship broke all three of its masts during the crash, which occurred late Saturday. Despite the impact, the 142-year-old bridge reportedly did not suffer major structural damage.
Videos shared online show the ship passing under the bridge that links Brooklyn and Manhattan, when its tall masts struck the lower part of the structure. The force of the collision caused the masts to snap and fall, some of which hit the bridge’s deck.
The ship, displaying a large Mexican flag in green, white, and red, drifted toward the riverbank while spectators nearby rushed to safety. Sailors were seen clinging to the damaged rigging.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash and have launched an investigation.
Two witnesses, Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz, told the Associated Press they were watching the sunset when they saw the incident unfold. Katz recounted, “We saw someone hanging there. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks, but after zooming in on my phone, we realised someone was suspended in a harness for at least 15 minutes before being rescued.”
They also mentioned seeing two people being carried off the vessel on stretchers and transferred to smaller boats.
