Hundreds of passengers were evacuated off a Staten Island Ferry boat after a fire broke out in the engine room.
The FDNY/New York City Fire Department said that units responded to a call just after 05:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, about a fire in the mechanical room.
According to the USCG, boats were called to take ~900 passengers off the ferry. Videos showed lines of people wearing lifejackets while exiting the ship.
A spokesperson for NY Waterway said that one of their ferries had assisted and evacuated 558 passengers.
The vessel where the fire broke out was in upper New York Bay at the time, the FDNY said, sailing from lower Manhattan to Staten Island.
According to the NYC Department of Transportation, the vessel, Sandy Ground (IMO 1299657, MMSI 368143060), had to be temporarily anchored close to NYC's port Bayonne (New Jersey), as the passengers were transferred to other transports.
The FDNY said that the fire had been contained to the engine room and the stack of the vessel.
5 injuries were reported, with 3 taken to the hospital and 2 others refusing medical attention.
16 crew were also disembarked from the ferryboat.
Nearly all passengers were evacuated in less than an hour. They were taken to Staten Island's St George Ferry Terminal.
The ferry had only been in operation since June 2022 and had previously been touted for its safety.
What caused the fire is under investigation.