Brooklyn Bridge struck by Mexican navy training ship, 19 injured

Nineteen people were hurt when a Mexican navy ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday in New York City, officials said. 

Mayor Eric Adams said four people were seriously injured and 277 were on board when the vessel collided with the bridge just before 8:30 p.m. on the East River. 

“No one fell into the water, they were all hurt inside the ship,” an NYPD official said.

Police were urging people to avoid the area around the Brooklyn Bridge, including the South Street Seaport in Manhattan and DUMBO in Brooklyn because of the collision. The bridge was shut down to traffic, but has since reopened.    

Ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge

Video of the collision that was posted online showed the mast of the ship, which was flying a giant green, white and red Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge. The vessel then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.  

The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in an accident with the Brooklyn Bridge that prevented it from continuing its voyage.  

“The ship, from what I was informed by the supervisors of the ship, it was disembarking and going to Iceland,” the NYPD official said. “I guess it was, the pilot that is assigned to navigate, you know, the boat out of the water, I believe there was some mechanical issues that probably caused the ship to hit the water.”

The Mexican navy’s post added that the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.

“The Secretary of the Navy renews its commitment to the safety of personnel, transparency in its operations and excellent training for future officers of the Mexican Armada,” it said in Spanish.

This is breaking news. Please stay with CBS News New York for updates.