Huge explosion at NYC shipyard leaves one dead and dozens injured after workers became trapped by blaze

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:29, 23 May 2026 | Updated: 01:54, 23 May 2026 A huge explosion at a New York City shipyard has killed at least one person and left dozens more injured. The dry dock on Staten Island was rocked by a blast around 50 minutes after a fire broke out on board a vessel at around 3.30pm. Fire crews were fighting a blaze inside the basement of a 150 sq ft metal structure which trapped at least two workers trapped when the explosion occurred. Around 37 injured people including more than a dozen fire fighters were reported as injured by 5pm, according to FDNY spokesperson Joanna Mariano. A civilian was reported as the only fatality so far. Two of the firefighters and another are in a critical condition, while two additional firefighters were left with moderate injuries. The rest of the wounded, which included two EMS workers taken to hospital on State Island, suffered minor injuries. 'This was a complex, fast developing emergency situation,' NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a press conference on Friday evening.  'One fire marshal is in critical condition and one firefighter is in serious condition,' Mamdani continued.  Fire crews were fighting a blaze inside an 150 sq ft metal structure which trapped at least two workers trapped when the explosion occurred on Friday afternoon New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that over 30 civilians and emergency responders were injured, with one civilian dead, as crews continued to battle the fire Mamdani added that emergency responders remained on scene trying to contain and quell the fire. FDNY later told the Daily Mail that the fire was under control as of 7.20pm  'A few minutes ago I met with the firefighter and his family, as well as the fire marshal's family. I am deeply moved by their courage as well as by their service to this city. 'I am heartbroken to report that one civilian has passed away. I send my deepest condolences to their loved ones.' Mamdani added that emergency responders remained on scene trying to contain and quell the fire. FDNY later told the Daily Mail that the fire was under control as of 7.20pm.  The scene had more than 200 firefighters and emergency medical personnel on site on Friday evening, according to Mariano.  Around 70 units were dispatched, as fire and EMS personnel arrived on scene, FDNY confirmed. Richard Obiozor, a local of the area, told ABC 7: 'We saw a bunch of fire trucks and I heard someone say every single fire truck and police officer on the entire island was over here.' 'A couple minutes later, a massive explosion, shock wave came in and a person in a white suit, I think the captain, said "back up,"' he added.  Councilmember Joann Ariola said on Facebook: 'Our hearts go out to the family of the civilian who died in today’s devastating Staten Island dry dock explosion. Praying for all those injured, especially the brave firefighters and first responders who rushed toward danger to protect others. Around 70 units were dispatched, as 200 fire and EMS personnel arrived on scene 'As Chair of Fire and Emergency Management, I want to thank the FDNY and every emergency worker on scene for your courage and unwavering commitment to our city. New Yorkers should never forget the heroes who answer the call when seconds matter most. 'Please keep all the injured workers, firefighters, and their families in your thoughts and prayers tonight.' The cause of the fire and the explosion remain unclear as the investigation continues. This is a breaking news story.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.