The fire started in an engine room, forcing hundreds of passengers to be evacuated onto other vessels. It was not immediately clear what sparked the flames. NBC New York’s Chris Jose reports.
Hundreds of passengers had to be evacuated off a Staten Island Ferry vessel after a fire broke out in the craft's engine room, according to officials.
The FDNY said units responded to a call just after 5 p.m. Thursday about a fire in the mechanical room. The Coast Guard said that boats were called to take nearly 900 passengers off the vessel, and videos showed lines of people wearing life jackets exiting the boat.
A spokesperson for NY Waterway said one of their ferries assisted and evacuated 558 passengers.
The vessel where the fire started was in upper New York Bay at the time, according to the FDNY, going from lower Manhattan to Staten Island. The NYC Department of Transportation said that the vessel, the Sandy Ground, had to be temporarily anchored near Bayonne, New Jersey, as the passengers were transferred to other transports.
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The FDNY said the fire was contained to the engine room and the stack of the ship. Five injuries were reported, with three taken to the hospital and two others refusing medical attention. Sixteen crew members were also taken from the boat.
Nearly all 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.
The ferry had only been in operation since June, and had previously been touted for its comfort and safety. What caused the fire is still under investigation.
