Investigation opened into why ship collided with famous bridge leaving two dead

A masted Mexican Navy training ship, the Cuauhtemoc, sits stranded after colliding with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

US transportation officials have launched an investigation into why a Mexican navy tall ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge in a collision that snapped the vessel’s three masts, killed two crew members and left some sailors dangling from harnesses high in the air.

The ship, called the Cuauhtemoc, was visiting New York on a global goodwill tour when the accident occurred on Saturday evening.