Rescue efforts were underway late Saturday after the top of a Mexican navy training ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge.
Videos posted to social media showed spectators watching the sailboat from a pier, then yelling out as its masts struck the bridge around 8:30 p.m.
Authorities said at least 20 people were injured, three critically, according to CNN.
The Mexican Navy said in a social media post that the training boat, named the Cuauhtemoc, was damaged in an accident with the Brooklyn Bridge that prevented it from continuing its voyage.
The Cuauhtemoc is about 297 feet long and 40 feet wide, the Mexican Navy said.
“During the departure maneuver of the Cuauhtémoc Sailboat in New York, an incident occurred with the Brooklyn Bridge that caused damage to the Training Ship, temporarily preventing the continuation of the training cruise,” the Mexican Navy said in a post in Spanish on X.
“The status of the personnel and material is under review by naval and local authorities, who are providing support,” the post said.
The New York City Police Department was asking everyone to stay away from the bridge.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine posted on X that workers were “on the bridge to assess potential structural damage.”
The Mexican ship was recently seen traveling along the New Jersey coast as it made its way to New York City, according to social media and news reports.
It sailed for the first time in 1982, according to the Mexican Navy. It sails yearly after cadets finish training classes at the naval military school.
This year, it left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on April 6 with 277 people onboard, the Mexican Navy said then.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.