Two sailors lost their lives after a Mexican navy training vessel on a global goodwill tour collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday evening, snapping its three towering masts and throwing parts of its rigging into chaos.

Several sailors were left dangling high above the deck, strapped into harnesses as emergency crews scrambled to respond.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that the 142-year-old bridge did not suffer significant structural damage. However, he stated that “of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries”.

The vessel, Cuauhtemoc, was seen in multiple eyewitness videos drifting in reverse near the Brooklyn side of the East River. The ship’s three masts struck the bridge around 8:20 p.m., snapping one after the other as it passed beneath.

Traffic on the bridge was heavy then, but no injuries were reported among drivers or pedestrians.

With a massive Mexican flag flying from its stern and 277 people on board, the Cuauhtemoc drifted into a pier as onlookers nearby fled. Sailors clung to the rigging, yet none fell into the river, officials confirmed.

In a statement on Sunday, the Secretariat of the Navy, through the Mexican Navy, provided a detailed update, saying during the departure manoeuver of the Sailboat Cuauhtémoc in New York, United States, as part of the Training Cruise “Bicentennial of the Consolidation of Independence at Sea”, there was a mishap with the Brooklyn Bridge that caused damage to the Training Ship.

It said the incident would prevent the continuation of the instruction cruise.

It said, “As a result of the mishap, there is an updated official report of 22 injured crew members, of which 11 are diagnosed as delicate and nine stable. Unfortunately, two of the crew members who were in serious condition died from their injuries.

“The Secretariat of the Navy is carrying out all the coordination in terms of social welfare to keep the families of the comrades who unfortunately lost their lives informed, as well as the crew personnel and the rest of the cadets.

“It should be noted that the institution is carrying out the necessary procedures to be able to reunite the cadets with their families as soon as possible and can continue later with their academic semester.

“Likewise, the director of the Naval Academy is in contact with the relatives of the Cadets who are on the ship, as well as the Commander of the Eighth Naval Region with the relatives of the crew of the sailboat Cuauhtémoc, to provide them with the necessary information.

“The Secretariat of the Navy, aware of the risks faced by naval personnel in the operations it carries out, deeply regrets what happened and reaffirms its commitment to the families of the crew to provide timely attention and follow-up to the investigations of the events that occurred to determine precisely the causes that generated this event.”

Earlier in a post on its X account, the Mexican Navy said, “As a result of the accident, there is an official report of 22 injured crew members. 19 are receiving medical attention in local hospitals, of which 3 have serious injuries.

“No items fell into the water, so rescue operations were not necessary.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum posted on her official X account on Sunday: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of two crew members of the Training Ship Cuauhtémoc, who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident in New York Harbor. Our solidarity and support go out to their families.

“The Ministry of the Navy, with the support of local authorities, is currently treating the injured. The Mexican ambassador to the United States and staff from the Mexican Consulate General in New York are supporting the Ministry of the Navy.”

The Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, carries over 100,000 vehicles and 32,000 pedestrians daily.

Each year, the Cuauhtemoc sets sail after the end of classes at the naval military school to complete training.