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Staten Island shipyard explosion kills civilian, injures 31 firefighters, officials say
By
Charles Lane
and
Giulia Heyward
Published May 22, 2026
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pidjoe / Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
and
Giulia Heyward
Published May 22, 2026
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One person has died and 36 others were injured Friday afternoon when a vessel exploded at a dry dock in Staten Island, police and fire officials said. The injured include 31 firefighters, four EMS workers and one civilian.
The blast happened around 4 p.m. at 3075 Richmond Terrace, between Lockman and Andros avenues on the north shore of Staten Island, according to the FDNY.
A fire marshal and a firefighter are hospitalized in critical condition, and five other firefighters have moderate injuries, authorities said. The other firefighter and EMS injuries were described as minor. One civilian died, and the other was listed in serious condition.
“This was a complex, fast developing emergency situation,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a press conference late Friday.
More than 200 first responders remained at the scene Friday evening, in what Mamdani described as an “all hands on deck response,” with 70 FDNY and EMS workers.
The NYPD said two workers were painting the vessel when it exploded for unknown reasons. FDNY received the initial call just before 3:30 p.m., reporting workers trapped in a confined space in the dry dock, the department said. Crews found a fire in the basement of a 150-by-150-foot metal structure at the rear of the shipping docks. A second alarm was transmitted just after 4 p.m., and the major explosion followed 11 minutes later, according to FDNY.
“We got lucky in the sense that none of our people were killed, and it’s unfortunate that we have one fatality. We did everything we could to get to that person,” said FDNY commissioner Lillian Bonsignore at the press conference.
The city's HazMat unit, the Department of Buildings and the Department of Environmental Protection had been notified, officials said.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
This story has been updated with new information from emergency officials.
Tagged
public safety
staten island
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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