A Mexican Navy training sailing ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17, shearing the top of its masts and causing 19 injuries, authorities said.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference that four people had serious injuries. All of the injuries happened on the ship, authorities said. The New York Police Department said to avoid the bridge.

Videos online showed the ship sailing underneath the bridge, connecting the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan, as its masts, apparently strung with festive lights, collided with it. A car can be seen driving across the bridge during the collision.

In the videos, many people dressed in what appeared to be white sailor uniforms could be seen dangling from the ship's crossbeams. At the base of the bridge, near New York City's South Street Seaport, bystanders could be seen running away from the approaching ship.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the @SEMAR_mx training ship Cuauhtemoc incident at the Brooklyn Bridge. We are monitoring closely and are in touch with the Government of Mexico via @SRE_mx to provide support as necessary. You have our full support," the U.S. Ambassador in Mexico said in a post on X.

Cuauhtemoc is a 300-foot long, steel-hulled three-masted barque launched in 1982, according to a recent fact sheet from the ship's handlers. The ship, named after the last Aztec emperor, is the Mexican Navy’s instructional tall ship for fourth-year cadets at the Heroic Naval Military School. She and her 261 member crew are a diplomatic symbol of Mexico abroad, according to the fact sheet.

The Mexican Consulate in New York posted several days earlier that the training ship would be arriving in New York at Pier 17 and people were welcome to visit for free from May 13 to 17.

CNN reported Mexican Navy spokesman Capt. Juan Caballero said the ship was on an annual training cruise. 

The suspension bridge, a popular tourist attraction, and a main conduit between Manhattan and Brooklyn, was completed in 1883.