The Singaporean-flagged container vessel, named Dali, lost power—just like the Cuauhtémoc—and veered off course, smashing into the bridge and killing six construction workers.
Mayor Eric Adams said he was praying for all 277 passengers who were on board, their families, and he thanked the first responders who sprang into action to prevent further damage.
Most crew members of the ship were expected to fly back to Mexico Sunday night, a senior city official familiar with the investigation told CNN.
Here’s what we know:
How the scene unfolded
The sailing ship had just departed New York’s Pier 17 when the incident occurred around 8:20 p.m. The boat had previously been docked at the South Street Seaport Museum for five days of public viewing. It was on a global goodwill tour and en route to Iceland at the time of the incident Saturday night, officials said.
Authorities began responding to the area around 8:26 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls, a New York City Police Department spokesperson said.
At least two of those injured were listed as critical according to Adams. The Mexican Navy said earlier a total of 22 people were injured, 19 of whom were taken to hospitals.
A preliminary investigation by several authorities including the NYPD’s Special Operations Division, the Fire Department of New York, the US Coast Guard, and the New York City Department of Transportation determined that the boat, “experienced a mechanical malfunction,” the NYPD said.
The boat was also moving in the “wrong direction,” a senior city official with knowledge of the investigation told CNN. As it made its way out of the harbor, the ship was supposed to make a stop at a Bay Ridge fueling dock before heading out to sea on its way to Iceland, the official said.
“It was the current that took it under the bridge,” the person said. “It wasn’t supposed to be headed in that direction.”
According to the senior official, Cuauhtémoc’s captain has told investigators he lost steering of the vessel after the rudder stopped working.
“They had some sort of mechanical issue, they lost power so without being able to use the rudder, they could not steer,” the official said, cautioning all information is preliminary and subject to change.
More than 100 fire and emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene, FDNY said in an email. There was no visible damage to the Brooklyn Bridge, which appeared to be left structurally intact and was temporarily closed in both directions for about 40 minutes after the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board sent a “go-team” team to New York, according to a post Sunday by the agency’s X account as the agency intends to investigate. The team on the ground “is comprised of experts in nautical operations, marine and bridge engineering and survival factors,” the agency said.