Explosion Rocks Staten Island Dockyard: 1 Dead, 36 Injured After Double Blast At Shipyard As Officials Probe Cause

New York: A civilian has died and around 36 people have been injured following a fire and 2 powerful explosions at a shipyard on Staten Island in New York City. The New York Police Department officials confirmed late on Friday, saying that the majority of those hurt were firefighters and other first responders caught in the second, more powerful blast that ripped through the site.

According to reports, the incident began with a call about trapped workers and escalated rapidly when flames in a basement area gave way to a major explosion around 50 minutes later. The rescue teams confirmed that during the rescue operation, a second detonation injured the rescue personnel who were already inside the structure attempting rescues.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the city on Friday evening, calling it a “complex, fast-developing emergency situation” as the cops initiated examining the cause of the and subsequent blasts at the industrial dock.

Confined-Space Call Turns Into Major Emergency

Reports suggested that the chain of events started at about 3.30 pm on Friday when someone reported that 2 workers were trapped in a confined space at the dock. The 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.

After beginning the rescue operation, as crews were still fighting the fire, a major explosion occurred at the site around 50 minutes later, she said. The blast sent debris across the yard and forced teams to pull back before re-entering to account for their own. A firefighter and a fire marshal were inside the structure when a second explosion happened, and both were seriously injured by the shock wave from the blast.

Richard Oviogor, who was in the area, stated that he heard 2 explosions and a “big shock wave.” The force of the blasts was felt in surrounding businesses, including a coffee roasting company and a self-storage facility nearby.
 

The initial counts put the number of injured at 16 by 5 pm, Mariano said, including 2 firefighters and 1 civilian with serious injuries. Two additional firefighters had moderate injuries, and the rest had minor injuries. Two EMS workers were among those with minor injuries.

The cops said that 36 people were injured, most of them firefighters and other first responders, and 1 civilian died. The number of injured people had climbed to 30 a couple of hours later, the fire department said, before the final update confirmed 36 hurt and one fatality.

As per reports, there were over 200 firefighters and emergency medical personnel from 68 units responding to the site on Friday evening. The teams worked through the night to extinguish hot spots and make the structure safe for investigators.

The cause of the fire and explosion is still under investigation. The fire marshals, NYPD, and federal agencies, including OSHA, are expected to examine whether welding, fuel vapours, or other industrial processes contributed to the blasts.

The area is home to several businesses, including a coffee roasting company and a self-storage facility. The shipyard used to be owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company, which built ships for the US Navy during World War II. Further details regarding the blast are awaited.