Dramatic scenes in New York Sailing ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge - two dead
New York witnesses dramatic scenes: A sail training ship of the Mexican navy collides with the famous suspension bridge: People cling desperately to snapped-off masts. There are fatalities.
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- A Mexican navy sailing ship has crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
- There were 277 people on board, 2 of whom died.
- According to the New York police, there was no major damage to the structure itself.
- It was initially unclear how the incident occurred.
In New York, a Mexican navy sailing ship crashed into the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge. There were 277 people on board, two of whom died, as New York Mayor Eric Adams announced on Platform X. 22 people were injured in the accident involving the training ship "Cuauhtémoc", three of them seriously, as the Mexican Ministry of the Navy wrote on the short message service X.
Videos of the incident on Saturday evening (local time) show the ship drifting towards the bridge. As it crashes into the iconic structure, the upper parts of the three masts snap off and debris falls onto the deck. The festively illuminated ship, which was also flying a huge green, white and red Mexican flag, then drifts towards the shore, as can be seen in the footage. There, eyewitnesses run away in shock or film with their cell phones.
The videos also show that the bridge was very busy at the time of the accident. However, the New York police later announced that there was no major damage to the structure itself. According to the US media, the bridge was reopened after being closed for a short time. The suspension bridge over the East River - a landmark of the metropolis - connects Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The collision damaged the ship's masts, among other things.
Image: dpa
A rescue operation was underway.
Image: dpa
The iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York became the scene of the accident.
Image: dpa (Archivbild)
Dramatic scenes unfolded on the ship.
Image: dpa
The Mexican navy training ship had crashed in the evening.
Image: dpa
The collision damaged the ship's masts, among other things.
Image: dpa
A rescue operation was underway.
Image: dpa
The iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York became the scene of the accident.
Image: dpa (Archivbild)
Dramatic scenes unfolded on the ship.
Image: dpa
The Mexican navy training ship had crashed in the evening.
Image: dpa
Terrifying moments after the collision
Dramatic scenes unfolded on the ship after the collision: Videos circulated on social media show people hanging from one of the masts or holding on to a rope. On large ships such as the "Cuauhtémoc", it is traditional for sailors to climb the masts when leaving or entering a port, writes CNN. The two people killed in the accident were two crew members who fell from one of the ship's masts, the broadcaster reported, citing the police.
The accident occurred on Saturday evening when, according to eyewitnesses, many people were on the banks of the East River. This included Flavio Moreira, who told CNN about the frightening moment with the ship: "It came closer and closer, and at some point I thought: This can't be true." He then added: "The ship was so close to us that we could see all the people struggling to hold on to something so as not to fall off the ship." No one had to be rescued from the water, US media reported.
How did the accident happen?
According to the Mexican ambassador to the USA, Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, the "Cuauhtémoc" was on its way to Iceland. According to CNN, the ship was built in Spain in 1981 and later acquired by the Mexican Navy to train cadets and officers. It had been on a kind of promotional tour.
It was initially unclear how the incident could have occurred. According to initial investigations, the ship may have lost propulsion power due to a mechanical problem, although authorities warned that this was preliminary information. According to research by CNN, the "Cuauhtémoc" had a height of around 48 meters. The clearance height of the Brooklyn Bridge was only around 38 meters, the station also reported.
Mourning in Mexico
Mexico's head of state Claudia Sheinbaum regretted the incident. "Our sympathy and support go out to the families", she wrote on X. The Mexican embassy will take care of the crew members. New York Mayor Eric Adams thanked the Coast Guard rescuers for their efforts.
