New York City’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge did not suffer any “significant structural damage” after a Mexican Navy vessel crashed into the span, killing two sailors and injuring 19 others.
At a press briefing Monday afternoon, the National Transport Safety Board confirmed the bridge escaped major damage but said it was “too soon” to release any information on the probable cause of the crash.
The sailing ship Cuauhtémoc was supposed to leave the city and head out to sea when it struck the bridge Saturday evening. Its three masts snapped when it smashed into the world-famous bridge, with witnesses capturing footage of the chaotic scene.
Brian Young, the board’s lead investigator, said that the ship requested assistance for tugboats at 8:24 p.m. Saturday and hit the bridge soon after. The NYPD was on the scene by 8:30 p.m.
There were 277 people on board the vessel when it collided with the bridge.
The NTSB’s Michael Graham told reporters that the board had not yet been able to interview crew members, including the captain of the ship. He added that the investigation was at “the start of a long process” and a preliminary report into what happened would be published within 30 days.
Most of the crew from the training vessel have since returned to Mexico, according to the country's Navy.
Footage of the collision shot by horrified onlookers show the ship moving swiftly backwards and then striking the 142-year-old bridge.
As it struck the underside of the bridge, the vessel’s three masts broke with sailors seen on widely shared videos dangling on harnesses high up on the poles. The ship then drifted listlessly toward a crowded pier.
Among those killed was América Yamilet Sánchez, a 20-year-old sailor who had been studying engineering at the Mexican naval academy. Her family has said she died after falling from one of the Cuauhtemoc’s masts.
The Cuauhtemoc arrived in New York on May 13 as part of a 15-nation global goodwill tour.
The vessel, which sailed for the first time in 1982, had been docked and welcoming visitors in recent days at the tourist-heavy South Street Seaport. It was next bound for Iceland.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press.
