One Dead, Over 30 Injured in Staten Island Barge Explosion
Quick Look
- An explosion at a Staten Island shipyard on Friday killed one civilian and injured at least 34 people, including firefighters and first responders.
- The incident began with a fire and reports of trapped workers, followed by an explosion approximately 50 minutes later.
- The cause remains under investigation.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
An explosion occurred on a barge at a Staten Island shipyard in New York City on Friday. The incident followed a report of a fire and trapped workers.
One person has died and more than 30 people have been injured after an explosion on a barge at a Staten Island shipyard in New York City.
At least 34 people were hurt in the incident on Friday including firefighters and first responders, officials said. The person who died was a civilian, the New York City Fire Department said.
The incident began with a report of workers trapped and a fire at around 15:30 local time (20:30 BST). An explosion erupted roughly 50 minutes later, prompting additional emergency responders to deploy to the scene.
"This was a complex, fast-developing emergency situation," New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a news conference on Friday evening.
Two workers were reportedly trapped in a confined space as the fire was spreading, Joanne Mariano with the fire department's press office said, according to the Associated Press.
When firefighters arrived, they located a fire in the basement of a metal structure at the dock.
It is not clear yet what caused the fire and explosion.
One fire marshal is in a critical condition and one firefighter is in a serious condition as of Friday evening, the mayor said during the news conference.
Open Questions
- What caused the fire and explosion?
- What was the nature of the work being done on the barge?
- What led to the workers being trapped in a confined space?
- What is the current condition of the fire marshal and the firefighter?
