Tragic Loss: Two Newark Firefighters Killed Battling Fire Aboard Cargo Ship in Port Newark

Two Newark firefighters were killed while battling a fire aboard a cargo ship in Port Newark on Wednesday night, officials said.

Firefighters had responded to reports of a fire around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The fire broke out around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in multiple vehicles on the 10th floor of the ship, then spread to the two floors above, authorities said.

When they arrived, they found the fire on the 10th floor of the cargo ship, which was docked by Corbin and Marsh streets, Newark Fire Division Chief Rufus Jackson said at a news conference.

The fire quickly extended to the 11th and 12th floors, he said. As they backed out, the two firefighters went missing, Jackson said. They were eventually found and pronounced dead on the scene.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka expressed his condolences to the families of the two firefighters at a news conference.

“Our prayers go out to them, to their families, to their brothers and sisters in the fire department who fought beside them tonight and probably many fires before this one,” Baraka said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The identities of the two firefighters have not been released.