A worker was found dead Thursday after an explosion and fire aboard a petroleum barge moored on Staten Island, according to reports first published by ABC7NY and PIX11.

Both outlets identified the vessel as the Casablanca and reported multiple explosions preceded a fire that FDNY responded to on the water. PIX11 described the incident as a shipping container fire with multiple explosions; ABC7NY reported the death occurred after an apparent explosion aboard the barge.

As of this writing, the incident has not yet appeared in DOB's own incident or complaint datasets, which typically post four or more days after an event — that is a routine reporting lag, not an indication the event went unrecorded. This piece is based on the outlets' reporting and will be updated with the official record, including any Department of Buildings, OSHA, or Coast Guard findings, once posted.

No cause has been determined and no agency has yet issued a public enforcement record tied to this incident. Marine vessels and waterborne fuel operations generally fall under Coast Guard and FDNY marine unit jurisdiction rather than DOB, so the applicable primary record here may come from those agencies rather than DOB's construction-focused datasets.

For contractors and marine-adjacent trades working near petroleum barges or waterfront facilities in the harbor: incidents involving fuel-carrying vessels typically trigger review of mooring, transfer, and hot-work permitting in the area, and any resulting Coast Guard or FDNY findings are worth tracking if your crews work waterfront sites nearby.

Readers should treat the cause, the number of people involved, and the full circumstances as unconfirmed pending an official agency record. The RFI Wire will follow up when the Coast Guard, FDNY, or another agency of jurisdiction issues its own findings.