Firefighters hurt in ship explosion

JACKSONVILLE: Nine firefighters responding to a fire aboard a ship in Florida have been hospitalised after the ship exploded, injuring eight and sending one to a hospital for heat exhaustion, authorities said.

The explosion happened nearly three hours after firefighters first responded to a ship at Blount Island after reports of a fire on Thursday afternoon, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department tweeted.

The ship, a Norwegian vessel called Hoegh Xiamen was carrying old and used cars and had been scheduled to leave Jacksonville, First Coast News

More than 20 crew members on the ship during the initial fire were able to safely get off before the explosion occurred, according to the US Coast Guard, and the blast happened with “crews inside fighting fire,” Jacksonville Fire Chief Keith Powers said.

Nearly 150 firefighters were continuing to rotate in teams to battle the blaze abroad the ship, Powers said.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the fire.

|