9 firefighters hospitalized in Florida after ship explosion
Source: AP
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Nine firefighters responding to a fire aboard a ship in Florida have been hospitalized after the ship exploded, injuring eight and sending one to a hospital for heat exhaustion, authorities said.
The explosion occurred nearly three hours after firefighters first responded to a ship at Blount Island after reports of a fire on Thursday afternoon, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department tweeted. The ship, a Norwegian vessel called Hoegh Xiamen was carrying old and used cars and had been scheduled to leave Jacksonville, First Coast News reported.
More than 20 crew members on the ship during the initial fire were able to safely get off before the explosion occurred, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, and the blast happened with “crews inside fighting fire,” Jacksonville Fire Chief Keith Powers said.
Of the nine firefighters hospitalized, four were treated for burns, one was taken into surgery for injuries Thursday night and another firefighter has been in intensive care, news outlets reported. All firefighters were stable, Powers said.
In this image made from aerial video taken on June 4, 2020, firefighters spray a cargo ship with water, in Jacksonville, Florida. Authorities say nine firefighters responding to a fire aboard a ship in Florida have been hospitalized after the ship exploded. The ship, a Norwegian vessel called Hoegh Xiamen was carrying old and used cars and had been scheduled to leave Jacksonville, First Coast News reported. (WJXT via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/1498fd4d738c06635d5b4c1b94520c4e
= new reply since forum marked as read
