Explosion on Staten Island barge kills one and ignites large container fire

Around mid-afternoon on Thursday, an explosion ripped through the petroleum barge named Casablanca, which was moored on Richmond Terrace near South Avenue in the Mariners Harbor section of Staten Island. A lone worker aboard the vessel was killed in the blast. The detonation ignited a large shipping container measuring roughly 10 feet by 40 feet, creating a second-alarm fire that generated dense plumes of smoke.

FDNY responded with 53 units, deploying approximately 160 firefighters, EMS personnel and Hazmat specialists to the scene. Crews worked for several hours to secure the barge and avert additional explosions. While the fire was largely contained, investigators have not yet identified the cause of the initial blast. The incident remains under active investigation.