Staten Island Shipyard Explosion Kills 1 and Injures 35 as Firefighters Battle Dry Dock Blaze
Updated
Updated · WABC-TV · May 23
Staten Island Shipyard Explosion Kills 1 and Injures 35 as Firefighters Battle Dry Dock Blaze
29 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · May 23
One person died and 35 others were injured after a fire at a Staten Island shipyard erupted into a major explosion around 4:20 p.m., with FDNY saying crews had already begun attacking the blaze.
FDNY received reports around 3:30 p.m. of workers trapped at 3075 Richmond Terrace, where people were working in a confined space near a dry dock when the fire broke out.
Two firefighters were among the most seriously hurt — an FDNY fire marshal was in critical condition and intubated, while another firefighter was in serious condition after several maydays were issued and all missing firefighters were found.
Police sources said a worker may still be unaccounted for, and officials have not determined the cause of the fire and explosion as road closures remain in place around the North Shore shipyard.
With crucial evidence destroyed, can investigators ever truly uncover what caused the Staten Island shipyard explosion?
Do current safety laws prevent shipyard disasters, or just assign blame after they happen?