Fire and second explosion injure first responders at NYC shipyard
A fire and two explosions at a New York City shipyard on Friday left 36 people injured and killed one person at the scene, city and fire officials said.
Officials said multiple calls came in around 3:30 p.m. reporting smoke and two workers trapped in the basement of a metal structure at the back of the shipyard, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. The structure measured 150 feet by 150 feet, she said.
Firefighting and emergency medical services crews arrived on scene within six minutes, but shortly after they got there an explosion occurred, Bonsignore said, sending shock waves through the area and causing serious injuries to multiple fire department members and a couple of civilians. She said one civilian died at the scene.
Chief of Department John Esposito said five firefighters and rescue paramedics were searching for the trapped workers on top of and next to the structure when the second blast occurred, which caused additional injuries. He said the most serious injuries happened to a fire marshal and a firefighter who were inside the structure and hit by the energy wave from the blast.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the situation was complex and fast-developing. “This was a complex, fast-developing emergency situation,” Mamdani said during a news conference Friday evening.
The fire department said the fire marshal was in critical but stable condition after a fractured skull and a small brain bleed, and Dr. David Prezant, the department’s chief medical officer, said the team would closely monitor the marshal for brain swelling over the next 24 hours. “We will be watching him very carefully over the next 24 hours to make certain there is not subsequent brain swelling. As long as there is not, he should do well,” Prezant said.
Przant said the firefighter was in serious condition when he arrived at the hospital, but that the firefighter was doing “very well” by Friday evening. He said the medical team would observe the firefighter to ensure he did not have muscle injuries.
Esposito said the department considers confined-space operations to carry heightened risk. “Confined spaces are very dangerous operations for any rescuers,” he said.
Mamdani said the fire was still burning but under control late Friday, with more than 200 firefighters still at the scene. He said a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the fire would begin as soon as possible.
Richard Oviogor, who was in the area, told WABC-TV that he heard two explosions and what appeared to be a “big shock wave.”
The shipyard area is home to several businesses, including a coffee roasting company and a self-storage facility. The shipyard was previously owned by Bethlehem Steel, which built ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II.