Power failure blamed in fatal Brooklyn Bridge crash involving Mexican navy ship: Video
Emergency response teams were deployed on Saturday night, May 17, following a fatal incident involving the Mexican Navy training ship Cuauhtémoc, which collided with New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge.
The crash resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left over a dozen others injured.
The incident occurred when the vessel, with a 147-foot (45-metre) mast, attempted to pass under the Brooklyn Bridge.
The ship’s masts exceeded the clearance of the arched structure, causing them to break upon impact. The damaged vessel was later seen near the Manhattan Bridge with all three of its masts down.
“We were saying goodbye to all the guys who were already leaving, the boat had already left, a few seconds after it had left the dock where it was, suddenly we saw all the lights crashing, hitting the bridge and then everyone fell down,” an eyewitness told AFP.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams provided further details in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. He disclosed that the Cuauhtémoc “lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.”
He added that among the 277 people on board, 19 were injured, two remained in critical condition, and two others had died as a result of their injuries.
However, the Mexican Navy also reported that 22 individuals aboard the vessel sustained injuries. Of those, 19 were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment, including three in serious condition.
Mayor Adams noted that the Brooklyn Bridge did not sustain any structural damage and has since reopened to the public.
