Fire on NY Waterway Ferry in Hudson River, Passengers Evacuated Safely

An engine room fire on the NY Waterway ferry Father Mychal Judge caused the evacuation of dozens of passengers during rush hour on Tuesday evening. The 65-foot vessel was traveling from Manhattan to New Jersey on the Hudson River when the blaze broke out. Witnesses reported seeing flames and thick smoke billowing from the ferry, prompting the crew to seal off the engine room and activate the extinguishing systems to contain the fire.

Fortunately, all 37 passengers on board were safely transferred to another NY Waterway ferry, the Frank Sinatra, and brought to shore without any reported injuries. The stricken vessel was towed to a maintenance facility in New Jersey for further inspection. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation to determine what led to the engine room fire.

The ferry Father Mychal Judge, named after FDNY chaplain Mychal Fallon Judge who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks, was built in 2002 by Allen Marine in Sitka, Alaska. Despite the scare and evacuation, the quick response from the crew helped prevent any injuries or further damage. Authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the fire to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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