Victim of Staten Island shipyard explosion identified as Queens worker.

A tragic incident occurred on Friday at the May Ship Repair facility in Staten Island, resulting in the death of a 56-year-old worker identified as Xiaoyuan Li, a resident of Flushing, Queens. In addition to the fatality, 36 individuals—predominantly firefighters—sustained injuries when a fire ignited, leading to a catastrophic explosion at the busy shipyard.

The explosion transpired shortly after 3:30 p.m. as firefighters from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) responded to reports that two workers were trapped in a confined space within the dry dock. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders discovered a fire in the basement of a substantial metal structure measuring approximately 150 feet by 150 feet located in Mariners Harbor. Approximately 50 minutes into their firefighting efforts, the building was struck by a powerful explosion. FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore confirmed that the blast resulted in “serious injuries to multiple FDNY members.”

Two firefighters and a fire marshal sustained critical injuries during the incident. Reports indicate that a fire marshal suffered severe injuries, including a skull fracture and internal bleeding, and is currently listed in critical but stable