Federal investigators looking into the Mexican navy ship that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend are expected to provide an update Monday afternoon in New York City.
The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to share an update at 3 p.m. Watch streaming live on CBS News New York.
NTSB investigators started collecting evidence Sunday to piece together what happened. The Coast Guard helped move the ship to safety, but commercial water traffic remains suspended in the area.
Meanwhile, people have been leaving flowers and candles at Pier 36 on the Lower East Side to pay tribute to the crew members.
2 killed in Brooklyn Bridge ship crash
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Witnesses said the crew wrapped up a ceremonial departure shortly before 8:30 p.m. Saturday at South Street Seaport. As the Cuauhtémoc ship took off for Iceland, it crashed into the bridge.
Video showed all three masts snap off, leaving some crew members dangling from harnesses and holding onto wires.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on social media the ship lost power before the crash.
LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images 
Officials said 277 people were on board, two people were killed and 19 were injured. Authorities identified one victim as 20-year-old cadet América Yamilet Sánchez.
“I deeply regret the passing of Veracruz cadet América Yamilet Sánchez. My love, support, and solidarity go out to her family,” the governor of Veracruz, Rocio Nahle, wrote in Spanish on social media.
The second victim has been identified as Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, according to Mexican authorities.
Sanchez’s family members spoke out Sunday as they mourned their loss, holding on to photos of her and each other. Her aunt questioned why the Mexican navy hasn’t done more to bring the family to New York to recover her body. Another family member called the videos illogical, adding it should’ve never happened.
DHS says Schumer should “get his facts straight”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has responded to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s concerns about whether cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, may have been a factor in the incident. The DHS said in a social media post the senator’s questions of a hiring freeze and inadequate staffing are “false.”
“The US Coast Guard has been fully supported and been exempt from hiring freezes. Additionally, this incident had nothing to do with Vessel Traffic Services— when a ship loses propulsion in a high current area, the vessel needs to engage all capabilities to stop and ideally tugs are nearby to support,” the post read. “We encourage Minority Leader Schumer to get his facts straight before he misleads the American people.”
During his weekly press briefing Sunday morning, Schumer explained the Coast Guard has a system called vehicle traffic service, or VTS, which is similar to FAA air traffic control.
“There are indications that this service called the VTS may not have been fully or adequately functional in light of that hiring freeze. We don’t know the answer to that question. We need answers. If this were the case, Brooklyn Bridge accident could be a national harbinger, demanding immediate attention,” he said.
Schumer pointed to Admiral Linda Fagan being relieved of her duties as commandant of the Coast Guard on Jan. 21.
“Furthermore, the current hiring freeze at the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, which the Coast Guard is part of, may have limited the ability of the Coast Guard to fully staff up at the VTS, the vehicle traffic service, the shore-wide system that provides quote air traffic control for the seas, especially in congested areas and restricted waters like New York Harbor,” he said.
The U.S. Coast Guard issued a statement Sunday saying the VTS “was fully functional during the incident, operating in accordance with established procedures to manage commercial traffic and facilitate safe navigation. Our response included launching a crew from Station New York, establishing a temporary safety zone, and coordinating with NYPD, FDNY, and NYC DOT.”