Sixteen people were injured in a fire and a later explosion at a barge in a shipyard in New York City today. The injured people included firefighters. The incident took place at a shipyard on Staten Island.
The New York City Fire Department has said that two firefighters and one civilian suffered serious injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals, according to the reports by international media.
Eleven other firefighters and two emergency services workers were also injured.
Officials said the fire started around 3:30 PM local time, and 20:30 BST. It was reported that workers were trapped when the fire began.
An explosion happened about 50 minutes later. This led to more emergency teams being sent to the site.
Fire officials said the fire was found in the basement area of a metal structure at the dock. The cause of the fire and explosion is not yet known.
Authorities said people in the area may face traffic delays and road closures as emergency work continues.
3 killed in San Diego mosque shooting
Before this, a shooting near the Islamic Center of San Diego left three people dead on Monday. The police later found two teenage suspects dead inside a nearby vehicle with apparent self inflicted gunshot wounds, reports say.
Police said that more gunfire was reported around the same time a few blocks away. There, the suspects allegedly fired at a landscaper.
President of the United States (US) Donald Trump said he had received early briefings on the shooting and described it as a “terrible situation”.
“They’re giving a briefing on it… It’s a terrible situation. I’ve been given some early updates, but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly,” Trump said.
The Islamic Centre of San Diego describes itself as the largest mosque in San Diego County. The centre also operates a school for children from pre kindergarten to the third grade.
