Staten Island Ferry engine fire prompts passenger evacuation

NEW YORK (AP) — Emergency personnel have evacuated nearly 900 passengers from a Staten Island Ferry vessel following a fire in the ship’s engine room. The New York City Fire Department says units responded to a report of a fire in the mechanical room of a ship in upper New York Bay shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday. Deputy Assistant Fire Chief Frank Leeb says there were approximately 868 people on the vessel, the Sandy Ground, with an additional 16 crew members. Five people were reported injured. The U.S. Coast Guard responded to evacuate the crew and passengers. The fire department says the fire was contained to the ship’s engine room and stack.