One dead, 34 firefighters injured after deadly explosion in Staten Island shipyard
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One person died, and 34 FDNY responders were injured after explosions, and a fire erupted on a barge at a Staten Island shipyard
A series of explosions aboard a barge at a commercial shipyard on Staten Island on Friday (May 22) afternoon left one person dead and injured 34 firefighters and emergency medical workers. The blasts sparked a massive fire that officials said was under control by Friday night, though it continued to burn, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The first explosion occurred around 3:25 pm in the Arlington neighborhood along Staten Island’s North Shore, said Brad Weekes, a spokesman for the Police Department.
Emergency crews arriving at the scene encountered thick smoke and reports that two workers were trapped inside the barge, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said during a news conference alongside Mamdani. As firefighters battled the blaze and searched for the missing workers, additional emergency crews were called in. At approximately 4:19 pm, a second explosion tore through the barge, Bonsignore said. At the time of the blast, firefighters were operating inside the vessel, on top of it, and nearby, according to John Esposito, chief of department for the Fire Department.
Authorities said the person who died was not a firefighter, though details surrounding the death remain unclear. In total, 34 Fire Department personnel suffered injuries, said Ian Swords, a deputy assistant chief with the department. One fire marshal remained in serious condition at Staten Island University Hospital after suffering a brain injury and head fracture that required intubation, said Dr. David J. Prezant, the department’s chief medical officer. Another firefighter hospitalised in serious condition was reported to be recovering well by Friday evening.
Both firefighters were injured by what Dr. Prezant described as an intense energy wave generated by the explosion. “As the fire grew, first responders did what they always do,” Mamdani said at the news conference at Staten Island University Hospital, where he met with the families of the injured. “They ran towards danger so others could escape to safety.”
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Officials said the cause of the explosions will be investigated once the fire is fully extinguished. Mamdani said that there were no active building code violations or recent complaints associated with the property, according to city records. Staten Island’s North Shore is home to numerous industrial businesses, including tugboat operators, shipyards, and barge companies. The industrial waterfront runs alongside Richmond Terrace, a heavily traveled roadway near residential communities.
