‘Emergency developing rapidly’: Fire and explosion at New York shipyard kill 1, injure several others

A fire and two explosions broke out at a New York City shipyard on Friday, killing one person and injuring at least 36 others, including firefighters and first responders, officials said. Authorities described the incident as a “complex, rapidly evolving emergency” and rescuers battled the blaze late into the night.A fire broke out in a 150ft x 150ft metal structure at the rear of the shipyard at around 3.30pm local time. Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said emergency services arrived at the scene within six minutes after multiple callers reported smoke and two workers trapped in the basement.Shortly after firefighters arrived, the first explosion tore through the building, injuring several firefighters and civilians. One civilian was pronounced dead at the scene.Five firefighters and rescue workers were searching in and around the building for trapped workers when the second explosion occurred, according to department Chief John Esposito. The explosion injured more people, the most serious of which were a firefighter and a fire captain who were inside the building when the shock wave struck.Dr. David Prezant, the fire department’s chief medical officer, said the fire captain was in critical but stable condition with a skull fracture and minor bleeding on the brain, the Associated Press reported. He added that doctors were closely monitoring him for possible brain swelling over the next 24 hours.The injured firefighter was initially listed in serious condition but was “doing very well” as of Friday evening and remained under observation for potential muscle damage, Prezant said. “This is a complex, rapidly evolving emergency,” New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani told reporters at an evening news conference.More than 200 firefighters continued to work on the scene Friday night and the fire remained under control but had not yet been completely extinguished. Officials said a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire and explosion would begin once the area is secured.Witness Richard Owegor told local broadcaster WABC-TV that he heard two explosions followed by what felt like a “huge shock wave.”The Shipyard District is home to several commercial businesses, including a coffee roasting facility and a self-storage company. The site was formerly owned by Bethlehem Steel, which built ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II.