Two dead and dozens injured after Mexican Navy training ship crashes with New York's Brooklyn Bridge

Mexican Navy training ship Cuauhtémoc collided with New York's iconic Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, in a shocking accident that injured 22 people, three of them in "critical condition," according to the Mexican Navy-Army Secretariat (SEMAR).

According to videos circulating social media, the accident occurred when the ship's masts impacted against the base of the bridge, a usual place for tourists who want to watch the ships pass by.

Hundreds of spectators watched as the vessel crashed while attempting to pass under the bridge in the East River without success, trying to change direction before impact.

At the time of the impact, the Cuauhtémoc was performing a training maneuver and was damaged in the "mishap," the Mexican Navy confirmed on X.

"Nobody fell into the water, so it was not necessary to activate rescue operations," the Mexican Navy added.

The New York City Emergency Management agency said it was responding to the accident, but without giving further details on the matter.

"NYCEM is responding to an incident at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. The situation is developing and details are not confirmed at this time. Emergency alerts, including recommended actions, will be issued through @NotifyNYC as updates become available," the agency reported via X.

Following the incident, the Mexican vessel, built in 1982, received relief, being moved to the neighboring Manhattan Bridge where it was surrounded by two other ships.

Some reports suggest that there were sailors in the rigging of the vessel at the time of impact, according to AFP. Other witnesses described to The New York Post how they experienced the accident and said they saw people diving into the water.

“The boat was coming under the bridge, and there were sailors on top of the boat, the sails hit the bridge and then people were falling off of the boat sails," said Elijah West, one of the witnesses. "It was crazy. We were standing under the bridge and we all started running. Then I saw people hanging from the sails. The police boats arrived quickly, about five minutes later. Then the cops guided the boat onto the Manhattan Bridge and started the rescue. It was a shock."