Sixteen injured in shipyard explosion on NYC's Staten Island

Sixteen people, including firefighters, have been injured in a fire and subsequent explosion on a barge at a Staten Island shipyard in New York City.

Two firefighters and one civilian suffered serious injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals, the New York City Fire Department said on Friday.

Eleven other firefighters and two emergency services personnel were also hurt in the incident.

It began with a report of workers trapped and a fire around 15:30 local time (20:30 BST). An explosion erupted roughly 50 minutes later, prompting additional emergency responders to deploy to the scene.

Two workers were reportedly trapped in a confined space as the fire was spreading, Joanne Mariano with the fire department's press office said, according to the Associated Press.

When firefighters arrived, they located a fire in the basement of a metal structure at the dock.

It is not clear yet what caused the fire and explosion.

Officials told US media that people in the area should expect traffic delays and road closures.