A massive explosion struck a busy waterfront site in Staten Island, New York City, on Friday, May 22, leaving one person dead and 36 others injured, the majority of them first responders, officials said.


The blast occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. at 3075 Richmond Terrace in the Mariners Harbour area, the address of a ship repair company known as May Ship Repair. Fire crews had already been battling a blaze inside a building at the site for about an hour before the explosion, as per the New York Post.


According to authorities, the fire was first reported at around 3:27 p.m. in a structure measuring roughly 150 by 150 feet on the waterfront property. Responders were immediately confronted with a dangerous rescue operation, as two workers were believed to be trapped in a confined space within the facility.


As the situation escalated, a second alarm was issued at 4:08 p.m., bringing additional resources to the scene. In total, approximately 70 units and 200 fire and emergency medical personnel were deployed.


Just eleven minutes after the second alarm, a powerful explosion tore through a barge while crews were actively conducting search operations.


The incident resulted in injuries to 31 firefighters, four EMS personnel, and one civilian, officials confirmed. Two members of the FDNY were hospitalised with serious injuries. One of them, identified as Fire Marshal Cucher, was reported to be in critical but stable condition, suffering from a small brain bleed and a temporal fracture. Another firefighter was listed in serious but stable condition, according to Mayor Mamdani.


The deceased civilian has not yet been identified.


In a statement posted on X, Mayor Mamdani said: “I ask every New Yorker to keep those injured — and their families — in your thoughts.”


“To the first responders who rushed toward danger without hesitation: thank you.”


He later added: “We mourn the life that was lost today, and we hold their family in our hearts.”


Emergency crews transported the injured to nearby hospitals, including Staten Island University Hospital and Richmond University Medical Centre. The fire was brought under control at approximately 7:20 p.m.


Authorities said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation by the FDNY’s HazMat unit, as well as the city’s Department of Buildings and Department of Environmental Protection.


By Tamilla Hasanova