Two firefighters die while battling blaze aboard ship in New Jersey
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on July 6, 2023
(NEWARK, N.J.) — Two firefighters died and several more were injured while battling a blaze aboard a cargo ship docked in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday night, officials said.
Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson confirmed the deaths during a press conference early Thursday, a few hours after it was announced that a search was underway for two firefighters at the scene.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka told reporters at the time that firefighters were still working to extinguish the flames.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Port Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal at around 9:30 p.m. ET after receiving a report about multiple vehicles on fire aboard a ship named the Grande Coaster Eadoirio. They managed to put out the main body of the blaze, but the flames had extended to multiple levels of the vessel, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage.
The United States Coast Guard also responded to the fire, describing the vessel in a Twitter post as a “roll on/roll off vehicle cargo ship.”
As of 5:20 a.m. ET, the blaze was under control and firefighting operations were mostly completed, though crews were continuing to monitor the ship. In addition to the two deaths, up to a dozen firefighters were treated for various injuries sustained in battling the blaze, the Newark Fire Department told ABC News.
The fire was contained to an area of the 11th and 12 floors of the vessel, which has a Halon fire suppression system, and firefighters are now essentially letting that section smolder. The ship’s captain and the Coast Guard are coordinating to hire a private firm to fully extinguish the blaze, according to the Newark Fire Department.
An official briefed on the situation told ABC News that investigators do not yet know the cause of the fire.
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