NEW YORK — Hundreds of passengers had to be evacuated from the Staten Island ferry after reports of a fire in the ship’s engine room, according to the US Coast Guard.
FDNY said the unit responded to a call shortly after 5:00 p.m. Thursday about a fire in the engine room. The Coast Guard said the boat was called to remove nearly 900 people from the ship, and video shows lines of people in jackets exiting the ship.
A spokesperson for NY Waterway said one of its ferries assisted and evacuated 558 passengers.
The ship where the fire started was over New York Bay at the time, according to FDNY. The New York City Department of Transportation said the ship, Sandy Ground, had to dock temporarily near Bayonne, New Jersey, because passengers were being transferred to other carriers.
The FDNY said the fire was successfully extinguished in the ship’s engine room and funnel. Five injuries were reported, three were taken to hospital and two others refused to receive medical treatment. Sixteen crew members were also taken from the ship.
Nearly all the passengers were said to have been evacuated in less than an hour. The passengers were taken to the St. George on Staten Island.
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