Nine firefighters have been hospitalized with injuries suffered while fighting a fire and subsequent explosion on a cargo ship, fire and rescue officials in Florida say.
The city of Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) tweeted that firefighters responded to a call onboard the Norwegian car carrier Hoegh Xiamen Thursday afternoon.
They fought a fire for nearly three hours before the blast occurred while the vessel was docked at the Port of Jacksonville. Firefighters had evacuated more than 20 crew members from the ship before the explosion.
Jacksonville Fire Chief Keith Powers said fire crews were inside the ship’s cargo hold when the explosion occurred. JFRD tweeted that of the nine firefighters hospitalized, four were treated for burns, one underwent surgery and another is in intensive care. One was treated for heat exhaustion.
The JFRD says the firefighters being treated for burns were in serious but stable condition.
Local media report the ship was hauling used cars and had been scheduled to leave Jacksonville.
The fire chief said nearly 150 firefighters were continuing to rotate in teams to battle the blaze abroad the ship. It is unclear what caused the fire and explosion.