Two firefighters die after becoming trapped while battling flames on a burning ship in Port Newark
Two firefighters die after becoming trapped while battling flames on a burning ship in Port Newark
- A search was launched last night after the fire brigade had disappeared
- They had been fighting the flames on the freighter’s 11th and 12th decks
Two firefighters have died after battling flames that broke out on a cargo ship docked in New Jersey’s Port Newark.
Overnight, a desperate search was launched to find the two firefighters after they went missing on the Grande Costa D’Avorio ship that had been set on fire.
It is believed they were trapped on the ship when they received the fatal injuries.
They had been fighting the flames on the freighter’s 11th and 12th decks where about six cars were on fire.
After a search for the firefighters, they were located and pronounced dead.
Firefighters had been battling the flames on the freighter’s 11th and 12th decks where about six cars were on fire
Firefighters were called to extinguish the flames that left several vehicles on fire
When the flames initially broke out, Port Authority agents reportedly responded to the scene around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Firefighters were called to extinguish the flames that left several vehicles on fire.
Personnel from Bayonne, Jersey City, Elizabeth and FDNY had all been sent to the ablaze ship with about 5,000 cars.
Smoke and flames billowed from the ship, clearly visible from the harbor.
The fire is believed to have broken out around 11:30 p.m. last night.
After two firefighters went missing, a search was launched where they were later pronounced dead.
“Members tried to put out the fire but were pushed back by the intense heat,” Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson told ABC7 New York.
“Two firefighters were lost while performing this action to withdraw from the building.”
Overnight, a desperate search was launched to find the two firefighters after they went missing on the Grande Costa D’Avorio ship that had been set on fire.
File image of a ship docked at the Port Newark Container Terminal in Newark, New Jersey where the Grande Costa D’Avorio had a fire on board
The US Coast Guard has confirmed that all remaining crew members have been found.
The Grimaldi Group, an Italian company based in Naples, confirmed early Wednesday that it owns the ship. The company has some 130 ships and 17,000 employees and describes itself on its website as Italy’s largest shipping group.
It is not yet clear how the fire started and how many people were on the ship at the time.
The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest container port on the East Coast and the second largest in the US