Two New Jersey firefighters were killed when they got trapped in a fire on a cargo ship in Port Newark on Wednesday night, officials said.
Firefighters responded at around 9 p.m. Wednesday, the Newark Fire Division Chief Rufus Jackson said.
When they arrived, they found a working fire on the 10th floor of the cargo ship, which was docked by Corbin and Marsh streets. The fire quickly spread to the 11th and 12th floors, he said.
The heat made firefighters work to extinguish the blaze, but they were pushed back out due to the intense heat. As they backed out, Jackson said, two firefighters went missing.
Rescuers were unable to rescue the firefighters, but they were unable to save them.
The two individuals were removed from the building. However, Jackson said, we lost two members today.
A number of rescue agencies have been working to assist in the search, Jackson said. The Coast Guard said it was among those who responded to the vessel fire.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the incident a tragedy that would be traumatic for many and said it was still not out at the time of the news conference.
He said around 5,000 vehicles had been on the cargo ship, emphasizing how large of a structure firefighters had to breach in the incident. We had two calls for Maydays, he said.
I saw the kind of acts of bravery and camaraderie today that's unparalleled and you know, it's very, very, very traumatic for all of us here in Newark, Mr. Baraka said.
The mayor said the identity of firefighters killed in theblaze would not be released until the families had been notified.