2 firefighters confirmed dead after fire aboard cargo ship in Port Newark

NEWARK, N.J. — Two firefighters were confirmed dead overnight after a fire aboard a cargo ship in Port Newark. 

CBS New York’s John Dias and Zinnia Maldonado have live team coverage from the scene this morning. 

The fire broke out around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday on the 10th floor of the ship docked by Corbin and Marsh streets. Officials said multiple vehicles on the ship caught fire, then spread to the two floors above.

A public safety spokesperson said the main body of the fire has been put out, but crews are still working to get it completely under control.     

Officials confirmed two firefighters went missing, then reached out to other agencies for help, but they were eventually found and pronounced dead on the scene. 

“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,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said. “I saw acts of bravery and comradery today that are unparalleled. And it’s very, very, very traumatic for all of us.”

“Unfortunately, we have a loss. This is a tragedy, something that I, as a chief, never wanted to express,” added Fire Chief Rufus Jackson. 

Watch Zinnia Maldonado’s report

Earlier this morning, there was a procession for the firefighters, which traveled from the port to a nearby hospital. Their identities have yet to be released, but they were both members of the Newark Fire Department.     

CBS New York learned the ship, called Grande Costa D’Avorio, traveled from Baltimore on a two-day journey. It can carry more than 47,000 tons and was carrying multiple cars at the time of the fire.

The ship was built in 2011 and sails under the flag of Italy, because it’s owned by one of the country’s leading ship owners, a family-owned company called the Grimaldi Group. The company specializes in the maritime transport of cars, as well as shipping containers. 

The port, officially called the Port Newark Container Terminal, is about 272 acres — the largest container port on the East Coast.

There’s still no word on how exactly the fire started. 

Stick with CBS New York for the latest on this developing story.