Mexican tall ship hits Brooklyn Bridge: 2 dead, 19 injured
A Mexican training tall ship with 277 people on board clipped New York City's historic Brooklyn Bridge on the East River on Saturday. The incident resulted in two fatalities and 19 others were injured, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced in a post on X.
The Mexican training ship hit the lower part of the 142-year-old bridge's structure, breaking the mast, fragments of which fell onto the deck. According to CNN, the bridge was not damaged and was reopened to traffic after a short delay.
The Mexican tall ship collided with the bridge
Two people died, and 19 were injured in the incident – Mayor Eric Adams announced in a post on X.
- Many people are receiving assistance, CNN quotes a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department.
"While manoeuvring on the river, the tall ship 'Cuauhtémoc' in New York collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, causing damage to the training ship, temporarily preventing the voyage from continuing. The status of the personnel and equipment is being checked by the navy and local authorities, who are providing support," the Mexican Navy reported in a post in Spanish on the X platform.
As explained in a conversation with CNN by Captain Juan Caballero, spokesperson for the Mexican Navy, the tall ship was on an annual training voyage. The number of people on board is being determined. The three-masted 'Cuauhtémoc,' over 90 metres long and 12 metres wide, was launched in 1982.
The Brooklyn Bridge was not damaged
After the incident, all traffic lanes on the bridge were briefly closed in both directions. The bridge, connecting the boroughs with Brooklyn, was reopened for use at 3:30 AM Greenwich Time. According to New York City authorities, more than 100,000 vehicles and approximately 32,000 pedestrians use the 491-metre bridge each day.
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the New York City Mayor, stated that while inspections are ongoing, there is currently no indication of any structural issues with the Brooklyn Bridge.
