May 22 - An explosion at a dry dock in the Richmond Terrace area of Staten Island killed one person and left 36 others injured, officials said. The blast occurred while fire crews were at the location responding to a fire in a basement and attempting to rescue two people who had been trapped.
City officials confirmed the person who died was a civilian but did not release additional personal details. In addition to the civilian fatality, two firefighters were taken to hospital. One of those firefighters, identified by officials as a fire marshal, suffered a fractured temple and a brain bleed and was intubated. The second firefighter remained in serious condition but had shown improvement, officials said.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the event as fast-moving and complex, praising the actions of emergency personnel on the scene. "This was a complex, fast-developing emergency situation," the mayor told reporters. "First responders did what they always do: they ran towards danger so others could escape to safety."
According to officials, firefighters had arrived in response to reports of a basement fire and to assist two workers who were trapped when the explosion took place. The incident occurred in the Richmond Terrace section of the borough of Staten Island, which lies across the harbor from Manhattan.
Authorities said a comprehensive investigation into the cause and circumstances of the explosion will begin once crews have fully extinguished the fire. Officials did not provide further specifics about the timeline for that probe or additional operational impacts at the dry dock.
The unfolding situation combined fire suppression efforts and rescue operations at the scene. Officials emphasized the complex and rapidly changing nature of the emergency, and noted that the safety and condition of those injured remained a focus as emergency medical and hospital personnel provided care.
Context and next steps
Officials indicated that investigative work is contingent on the fire being completely put out. Until that process begins, details about the precise sequence of events leading to the explosion, and the full extent of damage to property or to dry dock operations, remain limited.