Two individuals have lost their lives following a shocking maritime tragedy that occurred in the center of New York City on Saturday night when a majestic Mexican navy ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge.

The crash happened in a matter of seconds and without warning leaving at least 19 other people injured, including two in critical condition.

The Cuauhtémoc, a stunning three-masted sail training vessel, was transporting hundreds of cadets and crew members as it hit the historic bridge’s underside just before 8:30pm during a departure procedure.

Within moments, what was a jubilant event descended into turmoil as the ship’s 147-foot tall masts shattered like matchsticks, sending splinters, steel, and ropes crashing onto the deck below.

In the aftermath, emergency responders raced to the scene, with NYPD Harbor and Scuba teams conducting a frantic search and rescue mission. 

Although no one was believed to have fallen into the East River, dozens of victims were reported injured on board, with four sailors in critical condition, according to fire officials.  

Video from the scene showed horrified onlookers screaming and fleeing as the vessel approached, as part of its enormous masts sheared off one by one with the sickening sound of a crack as each one snapped. 

Some spectators watching on land believed the ship might slam directly into the shoreline. 

One of the snapped masts sent two sailors hurtling through the rigging, witnesses said, while others were seen clinging to ropes and beams dozens of feet above the deck.

The ship was backing out from Pier 17 when the crash occurred and appeared to have lost power, according to Mayor Eric Adams. 

The vessel collided squarely with the bridge’s lower structure, which has a maximum clearance of just 135 feet – far below the height of the Cuauhtémoc’s tallest mast.

Despite the dramatic collision, there was no damage detected on the Brooklyn Bridge as of late Saturday night, according to Mayor Adams’ office. 

The bridge was briefly closed in both directions before being reopened around 10:30pm. 

The Cuauhtémoc’s collision was captured from multiple angles by shocked bystanders, many of whom were filming the grand ship as it attempted to depart. 

‘Earlier tonight, the Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge. At this time, 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,’ Mayor Adams tweeted just after midnight.

Footage shows the ship moving in reverse, slowly approaching the bridge, before the topmost mast makes contact.

Within seconds, one mast crumples and crashes down, followed by another. 

Naval cadets dressed in white uniforms could be seen dangling in midair from the rigging and from the ship’s crossbeams after the crash, caught between wood, wire, and collapsed masts.

Debris including splintered beams, light fixtures, and canvas rained down on the deck below.

‘No one fell into the water; they were all hurt inside the ship,’ a police official said.

The official said mechanical issues had probably caused the crash, without providing further details.

The vessel, which was flying a giant green, white and red Mexican flag drifted toward the piers lining the riverbank as onlookers scrambled away.

At one of the suspension bridge’s bases, located near New York City’s South Street Seaport, online video showed bystanders running in terror as the massive vessel hit the bridge and veered toward the dock.

The bridge, a popular tourist attraction and a main conduit between Manhattan and Brooklyn, was completed in 1883. It was once the largest suspension bridge in the world.

The bridge sustained no major damage, New York City transportation official said. Traffic reopened in both directions after a preliminary inspection.

Earlier, Mexico’s foreign ministry said on social media that Mexico’s ambassador to the US and other officials were assisting affected cadets and had been in contact with local authorities.

The training ship Cuauhtémoc was built at the Celaya Shipyards in Bilbao, Spain in 1981, according to the South Street Seaport Museum, which said on its website that it was co-hosting the vessel’s visit to New York that was scheduled to conclude on Saturday evening. The public was invited to come aboard the ship during its visit.

The ship was disembarking from New York and heading to Iceland, the New York police official said.

Onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror as the ship, its sails furled and festive lights draped in its rigging, tried to pass beneath the bridge.

Sydney Neidell and Lily Katz were they were sitting outside to watch the sunset when they saw the vessel strike the landmark. Looking closer, they saw several people dangling from high up on the ship.

‘We saw someone dangling, and I couldn’t tell if it was just blurry or my eyes, and we were able to zoom in on our phone and there was someone dangling from the harness from the top for like at least like 15 minutes before they were able to rescue them,’ Katz said.

Just before the collision, Nick Corso, 23, took his phone out to capture the backdrop of the ship and the bridge against a sunset, Instead, he heard what sounded like the loud snapping of a ‘big twig.’ Several more snaps followed.

People in his vicinity began running back and ‘pandemonium’ on the boat erupted, he said. He later saw a handful of people dangling from the mast.

‘I didn’t know what to think, I was like, is this a movie?’ he said.