Fireboat explosion at Florida pier kills one person and injures many
A boat explosion at a Lauderdale pier injured five people and killed one, officials said.
The incident happened at around 6 pm on December 23.
Crews discovered a major fire on one vessel, which quickly spread to another vessel.
Five people were taken to hospital, three of whom suffered “traumatic injuries,” FLFR said.
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FLFR dive teams, working with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, located the sixth victim in the water.
“There was like a loud bang and I turned around and the whole pier was on fire,” a witness told local TV station WSVN. “It was engulfed in flames.”
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“I was screaming, screaming, and then they told us we had to leave immediately. I tried to focus and see where my family was,” Maria Sanz told the outlet.
A local waiter told the TV station that he was ordering food when the explosion occurred.
“What I saw was the ship just exploded and the roof went up and then came back down and the ship was on fire. I ran out there to see if anyone needed help… I mean, it was like chaos,” Towers said. Mel Dimiati said.
According to WSVN, the pier where the explosion occurred was a gas station. A similar explosion and fire occurred at the same location a few weeks ago.
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FLFR is not disclosing the identities of those involved due to patient privacy concerns. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the lead investigative agency looking into the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire, the department said.
“We will have a better idea once these vessels are removed from the water and more closely examined by investigators,” FLFR said in a statement.