Mexican Navy Ship Collides with Brooklyn Bridge
A Mexican Navy ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday during a promotional voyage in New York City. The mast of the ship grazed the famous structure while navigating the East River.
The mayor of New York City reported that 19 individuals sustained injuries from the incident, with four people classified as seriously injured.
Various videos captured the moment when the three masts of the ship struck the bridge, leading to some of them ringing and partially collapsing. The footage displayed heavy traffic on the bridge at the time of the collision, and the ship was seen proudly flying a large green, white, and red Mexican flag. Onlookers quickly gathered along the shore, some even leaning over the water’s edge to catch a closer look.
The Mexican Navy later announced on social media platform X that the training vessel, Cuauhtémoc, suffered damage in the accident. They mentioned that the status of personnel and material is currently being assessed by both the Navy and the local authorities who provided support.
In a statement in Spanish, it was noted, “The Secretary of the Navy will reaffirm his commitment to ensuring personnel safety, transparency in operations, and top-notch training for future officers of the Mexican Fleet.”
The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, has a main span supported by two masonry towers and stretches approximately 1,600 feet (490 meters). According to the city’s transportation department, more than 100,000 vehicles and around 32,000 pedestrians cross it daily, making it a significant tourist site.
The Mexican Navy specified that the Cuauhtémoc is about 297 feet long and 40 feet wide (approximately 90.5 meters by 12 meters), having first set sail in 1982.
The New York Fire Department confirmed their response to the injured but did not provide specific details about the casualties.
Earlier this year, the ship, carrying 277 people, departed from Acapulco, Mexico, on April 6th.
Originally, it was scheduled to visit 22 ports across 15 countries, including destinations like Kingston, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; and, of course, New York. Plans were also in place to travel to Reykjavik, Iceland; Bordeaux, St. Malo, and Dunkirk in France; Aberdeen, Scotland; among other locations, totaling 254 days, with 170 days spent at sea and 84 in port.
