The Mexican navy tall ship, which collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, apparently lost power moments before the crash, New York Post reported citing the NYPD. The accident left 2 people dead, multiple injured and damaged the vessel’s towering masts.
The Cuauhtémoc, a nearly 300-foot-long training ship carrying 277 people, mostly cadets, appeared to lose control as it reversed into the iconic bridge around 8:30 pm (local time).
Its 147-foot masts struck the bridge’s roadbed, snapping dramatically as two sailors remained atop one of them during impact.
In total, 23 people were injured in the crash, according to the NYPD.
As per the news agency Associated Press, the ship was preparing to depart New York for a goodwill tour to Iceland when the accident occurred.
He said the 142-year-old bridge sustained no major structural damage.
Footage of the incident, captured by several eyewitnesses, shows the Cuauhtémoc approaching the Brooklyn side of the East River when its masts struck the bridge’s main span. “You could hear it snap,” New York Times quoted Nick Corso as saying, who witnessed the moment and described the chaos that followed as “pandemonium.”
Videos posted online show the ship lit with festive rigging lights and flying a large Mexican flag as it drifted helplessly toward the bridge before its masts collapsed. Sailors were seen dangling from the rigging, though none reportedly fell into the water. “We saw someone dangling... for at least 15 minutes before they were rescued,” eyewitness Lily Katz said as quoted by AP.
According to AFP, the three-masted steel-hulled barque was undertaking a training manoeuvre and was damaged in the “mishap.” The ship remained lodged under the bridge until a tugboat held it in place in the East River.
Built in 1982, the Cuauhtémoc has a mast height of around 160 feet. However, the Brooklyn Bridge offers only 127 feet of clearance at high tide.
The vessel had docked in New York on May 13 and was open for public visits until May 17, according to the Mexican consulate. It was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 countries over 254 days, with the next leg of its journey intended to take it to Reykjavik, Iceland.
Following the crash, all lanes on the bridge were briefly closed. After an initial inspection, traffic was allowed to resume.
The department of transportation is assessing for any long-term structural impact.
The Cuauhtémoc, a nearly 300-foot-long training ship carrying 277 people, mostly cadets, appeared to lose control as it reversed into the iconic bridge around 8:30 pm (local time).
Its 147-foot masts struck the bridge’s roadbed, snapping dramatically as two sailors remained atop one of them during impact.
In total, 23 people were injured in the crash, according to the NYPD.
As per the news agency Associated Press, the ship was preparing to depart New York for a goodwill tour to Iceland when the accident occurred.
He said the 142-year-old bridge sustained no major structural damage.
Footage of the incident, captured by several eyewitnesses, shows the Cuauhtémoc approaching the Brooklyn side of the East River when its masts struck the bridge’s main span. “You could hear it snap,” New York Times quoted Nick Corso as saying, who witnessed the moment and described the chaos that followed as “pandemonium.”
Videos posted online show the ship lit with festive rigging lights and flying a large Mexican flag as it drifted helplessly toward the bridge before its masts collapsed. Sailors were seen dangling from the rigging, though none reportedly fell into the water. “We saw someone dangling... for at least 15 minutes before they were rescued,” eyewitness Lily Katz said as quoted by AP.
According to AFP, the three-masted steel-hulled barque was undertaking a training manoeuvre and was damaged in the “mishap.” The ship remained lodged under the bridge until a tugboat held it in place in the East River.
Built in 1982, the Cuauhtémoc has a mast height of around 160 feet. However, the Brooklyn Bridge offers only 127 feet of clearance at high tide.
The vessel had docked in New York on May 13 and was open for public visits until May 17, according to the Mexican consulate. It was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 countries over 254 days, with the next leg of its journey intended to take it to Reykjavik, Iceland.
Following the crash, all lanes on the bridge were briefly closed. After an initial inspection, traffic was allowed to resume.
The department of transportation is assessing for any long-term structural impact.
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