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Passengers evacuate Staten Island Ferry
Video posted on Citizen.com shows dozens of passengers wearing orange life jackets slowing exiting a Staten Island Ferry boat on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. (Via Citizen.com)
NEW YORK - Five people were injured after a fire broke out in the engine room of a Staten Island Ferry boat on Thursday evening.
The boat, named the Sandy Ground, dropped anchor near Bayonne, New Jersey, according to the city's Transportation Department, which runs the ferry service.
The FDNY responded to an emergency call just after 5:15 p.m. due to a fire in the boat's engine room.
Members of the ship's crew used C02 to extinguish the fire.
"Boat is currently anchored, passengers are being removed by other boats and brought to the St. George Ferry Terminal," the FDNY said in an email to Fox 5 News.
Video posted on Citizen.com shows dozens of passengers wearing orange life jackets slowing exiting the boat.
Passengers transferred from the anchored ferry onto a boat from NY Waterway, a private carrier, and brought to the St. George terminal on Staten Island.
A total of 868 people and 16 crew members were taken off of the ship. Five people suffered minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.
"NY Waterway's Franklin Delano Roosevelt ferry evacuated 558 passengers, who are now being brought to St. George on Staten Island," NY Waterway said in a tweet.
"Thank you to Captain Joseph Ajar and his crew, our ferry staff, and first responders @FDNY for their quick work to put out the fire and ensure safety for all aboard," NYCDOT tweeted. "Many thanks to @ridetheferry for assisting in safely transporting passengers to Staten Island."
"The Staten Island Ferry is a lifeline for tens of thousands of Staten Island commuters and others," Borough President Vito J. Fossella said in a statement. "While we don't want to jump to conclusions, there needs to be a thorough review of the safety of this ferry and the other two Ollis-class boats."