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29 May 2026
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Staten Island dry dock explosions leaves one dead and 36 injured, including 34 firefighters, US
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Two explosions rocked a barge on the North Shore of Staten Island in New York City in the US, injuring 34 firefighters and emergency medical workers. The explosion happened just before 15:30 on Friday, 22 May 2026, at May Ship Repair Contracting Corporation on the North Shore of Staten Island. At approximately 15h30 the FDNY responded to reports of a fire at 3075 Richmond Terrace on Staten Island. Units arrived within minutes and were met with heavy smoke, limited visibility and reports of workers trapped inside a confined space in the rear of the building.
“While members were conducting search, rescue and firefighting operations, an explosion occurred, injuring multiple firefighters operating inside and around the structure. Despite the conditions, our members continued operations and brought the fire under control,” Chief of Department John Esposito said.
The fire escalated to a 2-alarm assignment, bringing approximately 70 fire and EMS units and more than 200 first responders to the scene.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene and more than 30 other people were injured. Fire Marshal Christopher Cuccaro, 46, of the K-9 unit, was critically injured and firefighter Vincent Delgado, 36, of Ladder 80 in Port Richmond, was seriously injured in the explosion.
The sole fatality was identified by family members as Xiaoyuan Li, a 57-year-old shipyard worker. According to relatives, Li was working in a lower section of a vessel when the fire and subsequent explosion occurred. His death became a focal point of public attention as investigators sought to determine exactly what happened inside the facility.
Among the injured were:
More than 30 firefighters and EMS personnel.
Several responders who suffered blast-related injuries.
A fire marshal who sustained a skull fracture and brain bleed.
Additional firefighters with serious but ultimately non-fatal injuries.
As of Wednesday, the FDNY said one member of the department remained in the hospital while all others had been released.
In a statement, the Fire Department said that the fire and explosion were accidental and the result of “the ignition of flammable vapours associated with industrial-grade paint within a confined space.”
The area is home to several businesses, including a coffee roasting company and a self-storage facility. The shipyard used to be owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company, which built ships for the US Navy during World War II.
Sources: FDNY, New York Daily News, Reuters, New York Post, Advance/SILive, Luke Peteley, Fox 4 KC
“While members were conducting search, rescue and firefighting operations, an explosion occurred, injuring multiple firefighters operating inside and around the structure. Despite the conditions, our members continued operations and brought the fire under control,” Chief of Department John Esposito said.
The fire escalated to a 2-alarm assignment, bringing approximately 70 fire and EMS units and more than 200 first responders to the scene.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene and more than 30 other people were injured. Fire Marshal Christopher Cuccaro, 46, of the K-9 unit, was critically injured and firefighter Vincent Delgado, 36, of Ladder 80 in Port Richmond, was seriously injured in the explosion.
The sole fatality was identified by family members as Xiaoyuan Li, a 57-year-old shipyard worker. According to relatives, Li was working in a lower section of a vessel when the fire and subsequent explosion occurred. His death became a focal point of public attention as investigators sought to determine exactly what happened inside the facility.
Among the injured were:
More than 30 firefighters and EMS personnel.
Several responders who suffered blast-related injuries.
A fire marshal who sustained a skull fracture and brain bleed.
Additional firefighters with serious but ultimately non-fatal injuries.
As of Wednesday, the FDNY said one member of the department remained in the hospital while all others had been released.
In a statement, the Fire Department said that the fire and explosion were accidental and the result of “the ignition of flammable vapours associated with industrial-grade paint within a confined space.”
The area is home to several businesses, including a coffee roasting company and a self-storage facility. The shipyard used to be owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company, which built ships for the US Navy during World War II.
Sources: FDNY, New York Daily News, Reuters, New York Post, Advance/SILive, Luke Peteley, Fox 4 KC
