Overview
- The blast that struck Friday, May 22 grew from a basement fire at a dry‑docked vessel and left one civilian dead with roughly 35–36 people injured, most of them firefighters and EMS personnel.
- Firefighters arrived after reports of two workers trapped and were conducting confined‑space searches when a major secondary explosion occurred about 50 minutes later, wounding crews who were inside or adjacent to the structure.
- Among the most seriously hurt was an FDNY fire marshal who suffered a fractured temple and a small brain bleed and was intubated, and a firefighter who was hospitalized in serious condition; doctors said many injuries were caused by blast energy rather than penetrating wounds.
- More than 200 first responders from about 68 FDNY units responded to the scene and HazMat, the Department of Buildings and the Department of Environmental Protection were called in; the fire was later brought under control and investigators will start a full probe once the site is declared safe.
- The dry‑dock sits on former Bethlehem Steel shipyard property that houses commercial businesses, and officials say the incident underscores the danger of confined‑space work and could prompt stricter safety inspections and industry reviews for waterfront industrial sites.