Fire And Explosion At Staten Island Shipyard Injure At Least 16, FDNY Says

A fire and subsequent explosion at a Staten Island shipyard in New York City injured at least 16 people, including three with serious injuries, the New York Fire Department said on Friday.

“STATEN ISLAND, New York (WABC) -- Dozens of people were injured, including firefighters, following an explosion and fire at a shipyard on Staten Island, according to the FDNY officials”

ABC

The incident began after someone reported two workers trapped in a confined space at the dock at about 3:30 p.m. Friday, and responding firefighters found a fire burning in the basement of a large metal structure at the dock, said Joanne Mariano with the fire department’s press office.

ABC

Mariano said crews were still fighting the fire when a major explosion occurred at the site roughly 50 minutes later, and emergency workers had counted 16 people on site with injuries by 5 p.m.

The response involved more than 200 firefighters and emergency medical personnel from 68 units at the site Friday evening, while the cause of the fire and explosion remained under investigation.

CBS News described the fire as breaking out around 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time Friday on a barge at the shipyard on Richmond Terrace between Lockman and Andros Avenues, with an explosion around 4:20 p.m.

A resident described hearing the blast while driving near the scene, saying, "I was coming down Richmond Terrace towards my house, and as I was driving close to this area right here, I heard an explosion, and I kind of jumped," and CBS News reported that the resident did not see any fire.

Richard Oviogor, who was in the area, told WABC-TV that he heard two explosions and what seemed like a "big shock wave," as AP News reported the cause remained under investigation.

amNewYork

The New York City Fire Department said two firefighters and one civilian suffered serious injuries, while eleven other firefighters and two EMS personnel were also hurt, according to CBS News.

AP News reported that emergency workers had counted 16 people on site with injuries by 5 p.m., including two firefighters and one civilian with serious injuries, with two additional firefighters having moderate injuries and the rest minor injuries.

Officials told US media that people in the area should expect traffic delays and road closures, with the city’s Emergency Management office advising to avoid traveling to the site as the operation continued, according to BBC and amNewYork.

Fire marshals were investigating what sparked the explosion, and amNewYork said the blast occurred just after 3:30 p.m. on May 22 at the Richmond Industrial Complex, located at 3075 Richmond Terrace.

“A fire and shipyard explosion on Staten Island injures at least 16, including 3 seriously NEW YORK (AP) — A fire and explosion at a shipyard on New York City’s Staten Island has injured at least 16 people, including three with serious injuries, the New York Fire Department said”

AP News

ABC News said the FDNY received a report of workers trapped around 3:30 p.m., followed by a major explosion around 4:20 p.m., and it reported that at least 31 people were injured, including firefighters and a civilian with serious injuries.

While AP News and BBC focused on at least 16 injured, ABC reported that several firefighters issued maydays while battling the blaze and that they have all been located and are being treated.

The New York Daily News reported that the explosion left 16 people hospitalized, including 13 firefighters and two emergency medics, and it described the explosion as “major” after a two-alarm fire at the Richmond Terrace dockyard near Andros Ave.

CBS News said Hazmat, Department of Buildings and the Department of Environmental Protection have all been called to the scene, and officials told residents to expect traffic delays and road closures as the response continued.