2 Killed, 19 Injured After Sailboat Crashes into Brooklyn Bridge, NYC

Two people were killed and at least 19 injured, four of them in a critical situation, when a Mexican Navy sailboat crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge last night during a promotional tour in New York City.

Local authorities said the accident occurred when the upper portion of the vessel's three masts struck the Brooklyn Bridge, which led to a partial collapse of the masts.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said the accident resulted in two deaths and at least 19 injuries, but did not cause significant damage to the 142-year-old Brooklyn Bridge.

He confirmed that the causes of the accident are under investigation, with the participation of relevant authorities.

The NYC Department of Transportation confirmed that technical inspections of the bridge are still underway, while no structural damage has been detected so far. The investigation is ongoing to determine the cause and circumstances of the collision.

The Mexican Navy announced in a statement that the damaged vessel, the Cuauhtemoc, an academic training ship, would be unable to continue its scheduled cruise, confirming that the condition of the crew and equipment was being assessed in cooperation with local authorities.

The vessel, 297 feet long (approximately 90 meters) and 40 feet wide, was first launched in 1982 and is used annually to train cadets at the Mexican Naval Academy.

The vessel departed the port of Acapulco on April 6 with 277 people on board. It was scheduled to visit 22 ports in 15 countries, including New York, Kingston, Havana, Reykjavik, Bordeaux, and Aberdeen, on a 254-day voyage.

(QNA)