Two individuals lost their lives and at least 22 others sustained injuries following a collision between a ship from the Mexican navy and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
According to a New York Police official, the affected vessel, which was prominently displaying the Mexican flag, is a training ship belonging to the “Cuauhtémoc” Academy. At the time of the accident, it was carrying over 200 people, primarily cadets dressed in white uniforms.
Witnesses at the scene reported that the ship struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge, causing it to veer toward the riverbank.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that at least two fatalities were confirmed from the incident, while the injured were transported to local hospitals, three of whom are in critical condition.
Initial investigations by the city’s police indicated that there was a power outage shortly before the ship collided with the bridge.
The Mexican consulate announced that the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct the investigation into the ship’s incident. Based on data from the Mexican navy, it was revealed that the distressed vessel measures approximately 297 feet in length and 40 feet in width, having first set sail in 1982.
The “Cuauhtémoc,” also known as the “Ambassador of the Seas,” typically embarks annually at the end of the military naval academy’s semester to complete cadet training. This year, it departed from the Mexican port of Acapulco on April 6, carrying 277 individuals, and arrived in New York City on May 13.
The ship was scheduled to visit 22 ports across 15 countries, including Kingston in Jamaica, Havana in Cuba, Cozumel in Mexico, and New York.
Additionally, it was planned to sail to Reykjavík in Iceland, Bordeaux, Saint-Malo, and Dunkirk in France, Aberdeen in Scotland, and other destinations over a journey lasting 254 days, which included 170 days at sea.