New York shipyard explosion leaves 1 dead and over 30 hurt

STATEN ISLAND, New York (WCBS) — One person died and over 30 people, mostly members of the New York City Fire Department, were hurt in an explosion and fire at a Staten Island shipyard Friday.

The person who died was a civilian, according to officials. One other civilian was injured, along with at least 34 FDNY members, including a fire marshal who was critically hurt and a firefighter who was seriously hurt, officials said.

All of the victims were rushed to area hospitals.

The fire broke out around 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time in the basement of a metal structure in the rear of a shipping dock, which is located on Richmond Terrace between Lockman and Andros avenues, FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said.

Bonsignore said responding crews were met with limited visibility and heavy smoke, and they were told two workers were trapped in the basement.

“Confined spaces are very dangerous operations for any rescuers,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said.

The fire quickly grew to two alarms, and an explosion rang out shortly after emergency responders arrived.

“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,” one area resident said. “I didn’t see any fire, but I did hear the explosion.”

“We had firefighters inside conducting searches and on top of the barge and adjacent to the barge,” Esposito said. “We had several that were injured.”

After the explosion, one civilian was found dead at the scene, officials said.

The fire was brought under control around 7:20 p.m. Over 200 first responders were sent to scene.

The cause of the fire and explosion are unknown at this time.

The fire marshal suffered head trauma, including a small fracture and a brain bleed, officials said. As of Friday evening, he was intubated in the hospital.

One firefighter arrived at the hospital in serious condition, but officials said he was doing “very well” Friday evening and is being observed to make certain there is no muscle injury.

“They’re suffering from something that is silent, which is a blast energy. In a confined space, that energy hits you and can penetrate organs,” a doctor said. “Thankfully, both of these firefighters do not have penetrating injuries, and they do not have blast injury damage to their organs, to their heart, lungs or abdomen.”

“Let’s stick together. Let’s keep these folks in our prayers. Let’s make sure that this can’t happen again,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said at a press conference Friday evening. “But let us know one thing – that this fire department and New York City EMS, there is nobody better, and let’s pray that these men walk out of [the hospital] on their own two feet in the not-too-distant future.”

“Praying for everyone injured in today’s Staten Island shipyard explosion, including the FDNY firefighters who rushed toward danger to save lives. State agencies are coordinating with city officials as investigators work to determine the cause,” Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote in a post on X.

The civilian who died has not yet been identified. A second civilian suffered serious injuries.