NEW YORK — Hundreds of passengers had to be evacuated from a Staten Island ferry after reports of a fire in the vessel’s engine room, according to the US Coast Guard.
The FDNY said units responded to a call shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday about a fire in the engine room. The Coast Guard said boats were called to remove nearly 900 passengers from the ship, and videos showed lines of people in life jackets exiting the boat.
A NY Waterway spokesman said one of its ferries helped and evacuated 558 passengers.
The vessel where the fire started was in upper New York Bay at the time, according to the FDNY. The New York City Department of Transportation said the vessel, Sandy Ground, had to be temporarily anchored near Bayonne, New Jersey, as passengers were transferred to other carriers.
The FDNY said the fire was contained in the ship’s engine room and funnel. Five injuries were reported, three were taken to the hospital and two others refused to receive medical attention. Sixteen crew members were also taken from the ship.
Almost all the passengers were said to have been evacuated in less than an hour. The passengers were taken to the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island.