Fire aboard Staten Island Ferry forces evacuation of more than 600 passengers, crew

NEW YORK — An engine room fire aboard a Staten Island Ferry boat forced the evacuation of more than 600 passengers and crew members on Thursday, authorities said.

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The fire caused the vessel to stall in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty, WABC-TV reported. The fire occurred after 5 p.m. EST as the ferry was headed from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island, according to the television station.

According to the Coast Guard, there were 688 passengers onboard at the time, including the crew, WABC reported.

Ivan McCall, a passenger on the vessel, told the Staten Island Advance that there was so much smoke at one point, “you couldn’t even see your hands.”

“The boat was driving, everything was smooth, and then a loud beeping started happening,” McCall told the newspaper. “We all knew something was wrong, and then the police started scrambling around.”

The boat was temporarily anchored to allow passengers to leave the vessel by separate tugboats, WABC reported. The ferry was able to make it to Staten Island, and all the passengers were brought to the St. George Ferry Terminal.

Shortly after the incident, Roland Rexha of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association union representing the Staten Island Ferry crew released a statement, the Advance reported.

“Today’s Staten Island Ferry fire is very alarming,” Rexha said. “We have been deeply concerned about the safety of our passengers and crew as the new Ollis vessels have had serious issues and the DOT failed to train our members on the new fleet.

“Our dedicated and experienced mariners are working long, tireless hours to maintain our service. Ferry safety is our greatest responsibility. It is time for the Mayor and NYCDOT to work with us to hear our staffing and safety concerns.”

No injuries were reported, WCBS-TV reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said.

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